So long as the human species inhabits the Earth, proper management of its resources will be the most fundamental issue we face. Our very survival will depend upon whether or not we are able to preserve, protect and defend our environment. We are not free to decide about whether or not our environment "matters." It does matter, apart from any political exigencies. We disregard the needs of our ecosystem at our mortal peril. That was the great lesson of Earth Day. It must never be forgotten.
Senator Wilson, 1980
At Point 6, we care about creating a sustainable future. We are evaluating our impact on the planet and trying to find ways we can be more environmentally friendly. This year we are getting involved in the 2023 Earth Day movement as a part of our efforts in spreading awareness about the climate crisis and working towards being more sustainable.
In the beginning…
Earth Day is recognised annually on 22nd April. Started in the US in 1970, it is now a globally recognised day. To really appreciate the meaning of Earth Day, we must learn about its beginnings.
In the 1960s, there was growing concern amongst the American general public about oil spills, air pollution and excessive littering and use of pesticides. As astronauts took to space and began taking photos of the earth, there developed a new and greater appreciation that the earth's resources are finite. At this time there was limited legislation for clean air, clean water, and environmental protection.
In the Spring of 1970, Senator Gaylord Nelson purchased a full-page advert in the New York Times, advertising protests to take place in April as an attempt to force ecological issues onto the national agenda. On 22nd April 1970, twenty million Americans demonstrated in cities across the US and the first Earth Day was born.
The first Earth Day
There were two primary goals for the first Earth Day — to call governments to action and to spread awareness. The protests were successful on both these counts. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was founded in December 1970 and one year after the protests in May 1971, a poll revealed that 25 percent of the U.S. public declared protecting the environment to be an important goal.
By the end of 1970, President Nixon's environmental legislation included lowering vehicle emissions, stopping the dumping of waste into the Great Lakes, tax on lead additives in gasoline, safeguards on sea transportation of oil and a National Contingency Plan for the treatment of oil spills. Programs tasked with implementing this legislature were consolidated under the EPA.
Earth Day 2023
The theme for this year's Earth Day is "invest in our planet". The focus is on the importance of dedicating our time, resources, and energy to slowing the impact of climate change. The EPA aims to raise awareness and climate literacy and encourage people to make political decisions that align with positive environmental impacts by "voting earth". The goals are global clean up, ending plastic usage, planting trees, and using sustainable fashion.
Why is Earth Day important to Point 6?
We are a company that wants to have a positive impact and not get left behind with companies that will not make the switch to greener solutions. We know that this is a value shared by our employees and clients, alike. For example, you need only to look at one of our biggest clients, Signify, a connected lighting vendor, who have been carbon neutral since 2020. We want to offer our clients and the planet the very best, and this means doing all that we can to be environmentally friendly.
As we embark on our B-Corp accreditation journey, Earth Day provides a great opportunity for us to examine our impact and evaluate what we need to do to be more sustainable. It can be very easy to continue poor practice without considering the impact, so Earth Day is also a fantastic reminder each year to investigate your company's practices to help you improve annually.
Finally, we like to consider Earth Day as an opportunity to celebrate all the great work we have already done to reduce our carbon footprint. Adopting and integrating sustainable policies can be hard work. It is important to recognise how far you have come as well as how far you have to go.
Our climate action
We have already made many changes to our company. We get our energy from a 100% renewable source. Our office is lit using LEDs, our boilers have smart switches, and our e-waste is recycled professionally by an accredited company. We have plant-based milk available for our employees, and last year, we made the switch to toilet paper made from 100% recycled materials from "Who Gives a Crap". We only have one compulsory day in the office which cuts down on our employees' daily carbon emissions, and where we can, we avoid flying when we travel overseas to client meetings.
This year we are organising a company litter-picking and clean-up in the local area around our office, an activity which we hope we will be able to do more of throughout the year, to help us have a greater positive impact on both the planet and our immediate community.
What more can we do?
Whilst we are seeking small, every-day ways to minimize our negative impact on the planet, such as actioning one of our 2023 sustainability goals — making the switch to more eco-friendly cleaning supplies — we find that we still face significant challenges. As part of our journey to B-Corp certification, we are investigating our carbon footprint and exploring new ways that we can reduce this. As a technology-reliant company, most of our waste is electronic, but small actions such as encouraging our employees to delete old emails and projects will help minimize our footprint.
By far our greatest remaining challenge is within our office space. We are based in a Victorian building with a poor energy rating and single-glazed windows which allow a lot of heat energy to escape. We are exploring avenues for upgrading these windows to double-glazed and recognise that, though the initial cost will be great, it will both slash our energy bills and have a transformative effect on our energy wastage.
Do more for the planet
Now is the time for action to mitigate climate change. We believe that if every company does what they can to make themselves more sustainable, then the future of our planet looks a little less bleak. We encourage you and your business to get involved in Earth Day this year and join the eco-movement. You cannot underestimate the power that you have in making a difference for our planet — no change is too small.
