Earth Action Day Manifesto

Every year on April 22nd, we celebrate Earth Day. But why limit our efforts to just one day? What happens to the Earth and the goodwill the rest of the year? This may seem dramatic, but the environmental crisis has demonstrably worsened since the first Earth Day in 1970. While some progress has been made, we are approaching tipping points once considered unthinkable.

Is one day of awareness enough?

How can one day of awareness and action change anything? This is why I decided to write this short manifesto about climate action. It's time to rethink "Earth Day" and shift toward something more ambitious and structured. Those who believe any visibility for the environmental movement is beneficial may be missing an important point: the fleeting nature of modern business and media. Andy Warhol was right; everyone gets their 15 minutes of fame, including Earth Day. In our continuous news cycles and the sea of events on the marketing and social media calendars, it seems absurd to confine our celebration of our one and only Earth to a single day. The Earth supports our daily lives, yet we've reduced it to an annual event rather than an ongoing movement. This speaks volumes about our misguided attempts at aligning humanity with the needs of our ecosystems.

What Can I Do?

Earth Day has become just another day for selling goods, offering discounts, and flooding social media with vague statements and empty promises. This needs to change. Why not make Earth Day more than a holiday or commemorative day; why not make it a day of meaningful action? We propose a name change: Earth Action Day. A day dedicated to assessing our actions and inactions in preserving life on this planet.

Personal Inventory

Keep it simple. What three actions have you taken this year to reduce your carbon footprint or that of a company or organization you interact with daily? Grab post-it notes (digital ones if you like!) and jot them down. If you can list three actions, you're off to a great start. If not, consider what you can plan and begin this Earth Action Day.

I won't attempt to list possible actions; there are plenty available online or from ChatGPT or maybe they're on your To-Do-List already! Instead, I encourage you to ponder this question for a full 15 minutes. Set a timer. Assess every aspect of your life from waking up to going to bed. Consider the energy, materials, water, and other resources you consume in a single day. Identify your low-hanging fruit and start there. Small changes in habits can be transformative.

Work Inventory

"Every job is an environmental job" is a quote from my friend Sirena. She is right; every job has an environmental impact. You don't have to be a "decision-maker" to have an effect. Your daily choices shape our planet, our children, and our ecosystems. Now, it's time to take that inventory with a business focus. Write your impacts down on a piece of paper or on your screen. Trace the consequences of each action. Do you really need to fly everywhere? How many trade shows are essential? What do you bring there? Everything has an impact, from the business cards you hand out to the business models you promote. What can you avoid, eliminate, replace, or reimagine? Think of this as an opportunity to make each workday feel new, impactful, and meaningful to you.

Committed to Action

This is the most important part. Remember, while this inventory happens once a year, these lists and post-it notes should be living documents—action lists. Keep them visible, next to your laptop, on your fridge, or as your phone's screensaver. Let them serve as daily reminders that every day is Earth Day and that you've chosen a clear path toward climate action. You can still celebrate Earth Day by posting something on your feed if you want, but what counts is in that short and powerful list you just decided to make and follow through on.