Happy Earth Day! Intended to inspire awareness and appreciation of Mother Earth and our planet, the first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970 here in the US. By 1990, America’s Earth Day became an International celebration with events in 141 countries. And just two years ago in 2009, the United Nations designed the day International Mother Earth Day — endorsed by over 50 member nations. General Assembly President declared at the time:
“International Mother Earth Day promotes a view of the Earth as the entity that sustains all living things found in nature. Inclusiveness is at the heart of International Mother Earth Day; fostering shared responsibilities to rebuild our troubled relationship with nature is a cause that is uniting people around the world.”
Here in Boston, many of our favorite innovators are celebrating Earth Day in their own ways — from offering you free music in spirit of the day to reminding you the impact your used gadgets have in landfills.
Sonicbids
Sonicbids, the matchmaking site for artists to get gigs with its network of over 300,000 emerging artists and 25,000 festivals, promoters and licensers of music, has released an Earth Day playlist for you to enjoy today. The company has teamed up with Earth Day Network (the official organization behind Earth Day) to bring you this Music for the Earth. They’ve put together 500 songs in 20 different genres that you can download and listen to for free. Whichever artist’s song receives the most downloads will receive a guitar as part of the contest.
Gazelle & Newegg
Curious about the impact our gadgets have on the environment? Gazelle, the online recommence leader here in Boston that takes your gently used electronics and hands you cash, reports that their business kept over 310,000 pounds of electronics out of landfills during 2010. According to them, this translates into a whopping 264 tons of potential e-waste. Gazelle has teamed up with Newegg for a 1 Ton Challenge – a month long initiative challenging you to trade your gadgets to reach a 1 ton landfill diversion goal. By participating in the challenge you’ll receive Newegg gift cards, so what’s not to love?
Practically Green
Ever wonder what actions Americans are taking to live greener and how your decisions match up? Practically Green, the company that helps you make healthier and more green living choices, amassed quiz data from thousands of people across the Nation on their site. They put together this infographic (click to enlarge) that shows, among other things, the top 10 green actions Americans plan to take.
Swap.com
Boston’s Swap.com, the largest swap marketplace in the world, has reduced the world’s carbon footprint by 10.7 million pounds. Last night the company threw an Earth Day Clothing Swap, and today the company is offering free swapping all day long – inviting you to “swap instead of shop.” Normally the company charges 50 cents for things like books and $1 for things like video games (and average shipping costs about $3.20). Tried the new Swap.com mobile app yet? Boasting a scanner so swapping fits more conveniently in your daily life, we recommend you give it a download.
