A Guide to Celebrating Earth Day, While We Shelter In Place

9 min readApr 13, 2020

With Earth Day coming up, here are ways you can participate from home

We know this shelter in place time is challenging, but that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate Earth Day! There are several ways to celebrate and bring awareness to our environment and local sustainability efforts for Earth Day’s 50th anniversary. This blog provides a summary of ways to join in Earth Day awareness from the safety of your home.

50 years ago on April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. This was due to a reaction to a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California in 1969. Stanford University alum, Denis Hayes, helped lead the way for thousands of colleges and universities to organize protests against the deterioration of the environment. In 1990, Earth Day went global, mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries and lifting environmental issues onto the world stage. In the 2000s, Earth Day took to social media to spread the campaign to millions more, connecting and participating for a just, environmentally-friendly world.

Palo Alto is one of many cities leading by example in our efforts to be more sustainable and support the environment. The City adopted one of the first Climate Protection plan nation in 2007, establishing its leadership in sustainability. In 2016, Palo Alto City Council adopted its Sustainability & Climate Action Plan(S/CAP) along with a Sustainability Implementation Plan (SIP) with a road map of achieving a greenhouse gas reduction goal of 80% (below 1990 levels) by 2030, 20 years ahead of the state of California’s goal.

This year was also supposed to be Palo Alto’s 7th Annual Great Race for Saving Water and Earth Day Festival! The City canceled the event in March in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, but is still encouraging the community to participate in virtual Earth Day events to continue to bring awareness to environmental issues!

Virtual Earth Day Celebrations

Progress on the City’s Sustainability Work Plan & Sustainability and Climate Action Plan Update

The City Council recently gave input and adopted the City’s Sustainability work plan. For the workplan and staff report on this effort, go here.

Staff also hosted online community engagement webinars to gain initial feedback on the 2020 Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (S/CAP). The draft Potential Goals and Key Actions document incorporates feedback received so far. You can continue to send feedback to sustainability@cityofpaloalto.org. For your reference, here are the slides from the presentations.

More opportunities for input and community engagement will be planned over the coming months.

You can also visit cityofpaloalto.org/SCAP for more information.

Stanford Earth Week Programs April 20–24

Stanford University is hosting a series of Earth Week Programs that started on April 20 but are going through April 24.

Tomorrow, April 22, at 7 p.m., Ellen Fletcher Middle School students will be joining Stanford seniors in a special two-part Earth Day podcast. In this special, Fletcher middle-schoolers interview family, friends, mentors, and teachers, who reflect on changes they’ve noticed since the first Earth Day in 1970. Then, the students discuss their perspectives on today’s environmental challenges and offer hopeful messages for a brighter future. (Both parts will air consecutively.) Listen on 90.1FM or online at kzsu.stanford.edu/live

A list of Stanford’s virtual events can be found here.

Green Foothills Virtual Earth Day

Join Green Foothills and a line-up of inspirational speakers for the 50th celebration of Earth Day.

Register for the event here.

Smithsonian’s Earth Optimism Summit 2020 — April 22–26

Starting on Earth Day 2020 (April 22), the Smithsonian’s Earth Optimism Summit 2020 is providing free online workshops, webinars, and film screenings. Check out their page for some Earth Day learning resources and opportunities to hear from scientists and environmental leaders from around the globe!

Time: April 22–26, all-day

View the schedule and full list of events here.

Earth Institute — Earth Day 50/50: Looking Back, Moving Forward

Join Columbia University’s Earth Institute LIVE conversation while speakers explore sustainable and resilient paths for Columbia and humanity for 50 more years.

Time: April 22, 7–8:30 a.m. PST

Register for the event here.

Project Drawdown — Drawdown 101: An Introduction to the Science of Climate Solutions

Join Dr. Jonathan Foley, Executive Director of Project Drawdown, for a special LIVE Earth Day presentation of the new Drawdown climate solutions framework.

Time: April 22, 9:00am PST

Register for the event here.

The Waterbearers’ Earth Day Tribute

The Waterbearers' mission is to inspire women who have access to clean water to get it to those who do not. Join the founders of The Waterbearers and special guests as they celebrate the earth and our beloved water.

Time: April 22, 10 a.m. PST

Join via Zoom, here. The meeting ID is 875 118 4261.

For the Kids

Kids for the Bay

Join the kids with these fun, family-friendly activities that you can use around the house.

Homemade Natural Insecticide made with common household ingredients.

Homemade Composter made with common household and garden materials.

View the Youtube video here if you need a super cute demonstration.

Waste Sorting Game

Do you or your kids know which waste goes where? Test your knowledge with the City’s very own Waste Sorting Game! You can find the game on the City’s website, here.

Grassroots Ecology

Just because school is out doesn’t mean you have to stop learning! Grassroots Ecology offers a six-lesson, self-guided course that focuses on our local ecosystems and aligns with Next Generation Science Standards.

Access online videos here.

Backyard Scavenger Hunt

Explore the outdoors from the comfort of your own backyard. Can you find any of these items?

Access the worksheet here.

WaterSense for Kids

Thirsty for knowledge? Backed by the Environmental Protection Agency, WaterSense has many games and activities for kids to learn to save water that may also lower your utility bill.

Take a look, here.

FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH CITY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

Learn about City Programs, Services, and Rebates Available

The City of Palo Alto provides many programs, services, and rebates for residents and businesses focused on sustainability and being environmentally conscious. Here are just a few to consider.

Green Living Resources: City of Palo Alto Utilities put together a Green Living Resources guide to City programs, services, and rebates.

Electrification Resources: In an effort to help the City meet its sustainability and greenhouse gas emission reduction goals, the City has been encouraging beneficial electrification in the building and transportation sectors. Palo Alto Utilities continues to enhance the level of resources and information to assist customers who are interested in electrifying their homes or businesses. This includes streamlining processes, developing how-to guides, offering rebates for home water heating, investigating other incentive programs, and partnering with other energy agencies to host the first-ever Bay Area Home Electrification Expo. Online resources are available to anyone at any time. Go here for more: www.cityofpaloalto.org/electrification.

All-Electric Homes and Businesses Resources: Last year, the City adopted an Energy Reach Code that mandates building electrification and energy efficiency for new construction of low-rise residential and non-residential buildings. A new webpage includes a summary of the all-electric mandate and energy reach code requirements, as well as FAQs for residential and non-residential projects.

Electric Vehicles Resources: To address transportation emissions, the City is sharing resources and developing new programs to promote the use of Electric Vehicles (EVs). CPAU offers rebates for EV charging equipment installed at multi-family dwellings and mixed-use properties, non-profits, and schools, as well as a technical advisor program to assist with these installations. Planning to install an EV charger at your home? Find out how here. Driving and charging an EV in Palo Alto especially makes sense given the City’s carbon-neutral electricity supply.

Water Conservation Indoors and Outdoors: Palo Alto Utilities partners with Valley Water to deliver rebates for water-efficient landscaping upgrades as well as products and projects that reduce stormwater runoff and conserve water. Learn more about rebates and other offers here.

Annual Earth Day Study Session: Read the April 13 staff report sharing accomplishments, progress on the City’s 2018–2020 Sustainability Implementation Plan (SIP) and achievements in the seven sustainability and climate action plan framework areas.

Learn about the City’s Sustainability Work Plan: For the City’s Sustainability Work Plan that was adopted on April 13, go here.

Learn about the benefit of trees: Canopy plants and cares for trees locally. Find out more here.

OTHER TIPS AND REMINDERS

Friendly Tips and Reminders As We Shelter in Place

Don’t Rush to Flush: Help us keep the San Francisco Bay clean, and our pipes functioning properly. Never flush paper towels or wipes of any kind down the toilet, even if it claims to be “flushable”. Wastewater collection systems have seen an increase in these products in response to COVID-19. Wipes are one of the leading causes of sewer backups into homes and streets, which can have a larger impact on public health and the environment. Remember, wipes clog pipes. Only toilet paper and human waste should be flushed down the toilet. Visit cleanbay.org for more info.
Utilities Rate Relief: The City’s proclamation of a local emergency instituted a moratorium on disconnections for non-payment, late payment fees, and full-bill payment requirements for City of Palo Alto Utilities residential customers. Customers can make partial payments, without penalty, and without risk of disconnection for non-payment. The total of missed payments (except Late Fees, which will be waived in their entirety) will continue to be owed, but customers will be eligible for an extended payment plan of up to 18 months from the proclamation termination. Customers seeking further information or needing assistance can call (650) 329–2161.
Efficiency Tips for Energy and Water: The City wants to help residents lower their energy and water usage, not only for the environment but to help relieve you from a high utility bill. Take a look at the newsletter sent out by the Utilities department to learn more! The newsletter can be found here.
Safe Routes to School Roll Model Pledge: In addition to the Shelter in Place Earth Day activity suggestions, the City also encourages families who have increased their walk and bike trips to continue using this mode of transportation once the pandemic ends by taking the Safe Routes to School Roll Model Pledge. This pledge, taken by individual students or entire families, includes two simple goals: making greener choices in school transportation and sharing the road safely with others by following the Safe Routes to School tips.

Whether this is your first Earth Day celebration or your 50th, many are showing proof of their resiliency by adapting to create new opportunities to get involved.