by Umbra Fisk
Dearest readers,
Oh snap, did you space on Earth Day again? (Newsflash: It’s tomorrow!) No worries, there’s still time
(a little, anyway) to pull together something for your office or school—or at
least get a head start for next year’s planning. Feeling celebratory myself, I
raked through the archives to find some past tips on Earth Day par-tays. How
will you be celebrating this year? Let me know in the comments below.
All work and no play.
Want to throw an Earth Day fete at your office? A game and a treat (DIY junk food, perhaps?)—and
maybe an eco-competition—are a sound basis for an excellent party. How about
green versions of children’s party games? Can you get ahold of, or make, a
topical piñata? A car filled with Rolos, for example. Or how about a game of
darts with a board covered with the faces of the Bush administration? Or, since
I’m not allowed to be partisan, how about ‘Round the Clock with faces of famous
and infamous eco-influential people, like Ronald Regan, Al Gore, or Leonardo
DiCaprio? As for the “competition” element of your party, you
could have a paper-use or power-use reduction contest. Like can the company as
a whole reduce its power use by a certain amount between one power bill and the
next? There are simple, low-commitment actions everyone could do to
participate: Send computers into sleep mode sooner, and shut off lights and
computers at the end of the day. Get the full Ask Umbra
answer.
Give it the old
college try.
Looking to bring an Earth Day celebration to your school? Luckily, you don’t
have to come up with an idea for an event from scratch, as we now have 40 years
worth of experience to draw from (thank you, internet). Earth Day activities
can be celebratory or educational, and the educational ones can be aimed at a
green audience or at novices. You’ve got your speakers, your awards, your
sorting of trash on the main quad, your Top Ten Things
You Can Do lists, your tree plantings, your volunteering at schools, your
Car-Free Day. A fun event might just be nominally earthy, like a band or a
scavenger hunt. You’re just trying to raise awareness and get a few more fish
in the net, so it doesn’t need to be completely original. Get the full Ask Umbra answer.
It’s mind over motto.
So now you want a slogan to draw the whole event together? Some tips: Be
specific. Be straightforward or surprising, as fits your company’s/school’s/organization’s
culture. And don’t try to rhyme. Frankly, I’d also advise against using the
word “green” because people are already tiring of hearing it. And
hopefully you’ll pick something that will actually relate to the theme of your
party or event. And if all else fails, seriously, skip the catchphrase. What
you’re actually doing/celebrating at your Earth Day event is far more important
than some snappy slogan. Get
the full Ask Umbra answer.
Confettily,
Umbra
Related Links:
Good news for Earth Day: We can reduce climate pollution and boost the economy, all at once