Earth Facts for Earth Day

Happy Earth Day! Just for fun, here are a few facts about the planet we all call home & how we are using it...

• The Earth isn't round! It's technically an oblate spheroid. Basically that means it’s slightly flattened on the top and bottom poles. (source)
• Earth means "the ground." This name, which comes from an English/German word, has been used to describe our planet for at least 1,000 years. (source)
• You are one in 7 billion. The Earth's population is estimated at 7,078,000,000. (source)
• Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970. (source) 
• Energy saved from recycling one glass bottle is enough to keep a lightbulb lit or four hours. (source)
• The average American uses between 80 and 100 gallons of water a day. (source)

Photo of kids sweeping Union Square as a part of the first Earth Day celebration via National Geographic.

Light a Candle for Earth Month

My sister Laura works at Aveda and recently filled me in on a great product they have for sale for the month of April to support Earth Month. Earth Day is April 22nd, but in 1989 Aveda started the idea of Earth MONTH to keep the awareness and celebration going for the entire month of April. 


There are tons of ways to get involved with healing our earth, but one simple way is purchasing Aveda's the Light the Way Candle for $12. The candles are soy based, slow burning AND you can dip you fingers and use it as a body moisturizer or massage oil (so fun!). 100% of profits go Global Greengrants water projects that train people in sustainable agriculture methods, help communities implement local water resource management plans, and enable communities to take action against toxic industrial pollution.