by Stephen Ashkin — April 22, 2014—It’s Earth Day, the most visible day for environmentalists and those in the Green Building Movement. While we still have a lot of challenges ahead, let’s take a break and celebrate our accomplishments.
So here’s my Earth Day idea for you—plan a party. Yes, a party, as everyone loves a party. I believe there is a simple formula for a successful Earth Day party: Interesting Food and Drink + Fun Activity + Good People = Memorable and Successful Event.
Food
Ask your guests to bring a dish. For Earth Day there are a lot of things to consider, especially since food has such an enormous impact on our environment. Please know that there is no right or wrong approach, because the intent is for you (as the leader) to stimulate discussion.
Consider asking your guests to bring a dish made of locally grown or produced meats, dairy, grains, fruits and vegetables—and yes, even locally produced juices, sodas, beer and wine. Encourage your guests to try something new, and suggest options including dishes that are vegetarian, vegan, organic, antibiotic-free, hormone-free, cruelty-free and others intentionally designed to stimulate their thinking about where our food comes from, how it is grown/produced, and what we need to think about as global population continues to increase.
Some additional thoughts along these lines are to ask your guests to be prepared to tell a little story about their dish and what made it “green.” Also encourage them to bring their dish in a reusable container, and to bring reusable plates and silverware if you are not providing them. And, of course, be prepared to clean up with your Green Cleaning products and to explain why these products are better for health and the environment.
Frankly, in our busy and hectic lives, we sometimes forget that our food doesn’t come from the grocery store or restaurant, and that what we buy can affect the entire food chain and our health.
Activity
In addition to some great food, consider something fun and educational. For example, consider showing a short video. One of my favorites is on YouTube from my friend Jason Clay, who runs World Wildlife Fund’s food program. He has a terrific 20-minute program (TED Talk) on global food consumption that is extremely well done and will lead to some great discussions even with friends who think that “green” is a communist plot or global conspiracy.
Other programs on YouTube include ones from Ray Anderson, the founder of Interface and among the earliest CEOs to embrace green building and sustainability, such as his TED Talk on “The Business Logic of Sustainability,” and Annie Leonard’s “The Story of Stuff,” “The Story of Change,” and others. Or perhaps consider a short video on the new Climate Change report, which also discusses the threats to food security.
Each video is less than 20 minutes, so most guests can actually sit through it, and you can find others that are only two to five minutes. In addition, if you have a subscription to Netflix, they have lots of full-length documentaries relating to the environment. And of course, your local library will likely have some videos you can borrow.
If you want more of a hands-on activity, consider a group project (remember how much fun we had doing these in elementary school). A couple of projects could be to build little window boxes to grow herbs. Consider going by the local Goodwill store to see if they have any “interesting” flower pots or window boxes. These can be fun, silly, whimsical, sports related, etc., and it both reuses materials and supports people with disabilities.
For those of you who prefer a more hands-on approach and literally getting your hands dirty, consider building a compost pile. And yes, you can even do this if you live in an urban setting, by purchasing a composting kit which you can find online.
Attire
Being Earth Day, tell your guests to wear something “green.” Break out the old tie-dyed, flowered, Hawaiian, or hemp shirt (everyone needs at least one hemp shirt). Consider telling your guests to stop off at the Goodwill or other second-hand store to find something fun if they don’t already have one. And let them know that there will be prizes for the best “green” outfit.
Entertainment
I live in a college town, and it is amazing how easy and inexpensive it is to have local performers to entertain at a party. Frankly, many of these kids are thrilled to have the chance to perform. You might see what you can come up with by contacting your college if it has a music school, or the music department at the local high school.
If you want to do a sound track of your own, I searched the Internet for “music with an environmental theme” and found lots of stuff from the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Marvin Gaye, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Public Enemy, and Red Hot Chili Peppers, plus lots of other artists in all styles of music. Check this link to Wikipedia.
Good People
If you’re like me, I typically hang out with the same group of friends. So this Earth Day, in addition to all of your great family, friends and colleagues, invite someone new. Someone you can inspire. Someone you can help become a leader of the future.
Thank you for your leadership and hard work. Have fun, take a lot of pictures, and share them with me on Facebook.
Stephen Ashkin is president of The Ashkin Group, executive director of the Green Cleaning Network, co-founder of Green Cleaning University, and CEO of Sustainability Dashboard Tools, LLC.
