How To Lend A Hand In Helping Wisconsin's Environment This Earth Day

WISCONSIN — As we approach Earth Day in Wisconsin on Saturday, there will be no shortage of ways to lend a hand toward the bigger cause of protecting our environment, whether that's through making some simple changes at home, spending some time in the outdoors, or just learning about the world around.

There are plenty of small actions we can do to make direct change for the better when it comes to our environment. For some, that may mean picking up litter on a walk through their neighborhood, beach or park. For those with kids, it could mean attending an Earth Day event in the outdoors to learn about what's going on in our backyards.

Many on Earth Day choose to attend an organized cleanup event or a service project. One annual event in Wisconsin is the Milwaukee Riverkeeper spring cleanup with over 80 meeting points planned for Saturday up and down the Milwaukee River. The organization provides gloves, bags and a free t-shirt, while you provide the labor to pick up litter surrounding the riverbanks. Register for the event at the riverkeeper's website.

The Milwaukee Urban Ecology Center is hosting several days of service throughout April in the name of Earth Day. Events are set to include seedling and clothing swaps in the name of reducing our waste, days of weeding out invasive species, cleaning up trash, bird walks and more. Find more about the events at the ecology center website.

In Waukesha, one way to celebrate Earth Day is by registering for a day of cleaning up a county park. You can also head over to the Retzer Nature Center throughout Wednesday and Friday for a lineup of special events (some may require pre-registration online.) Find out more about Earth Week through the Waukesha County Park System online.

The annual Earth Day has its roots in a senator from Wisconsin. According to EarthDay.org, it was 1969 when Sen. Gaylord Nelson witnessed an oil spill in California, solidifying his desire to make a national day of awareness for air and water pollution. By 1990, Earth Day went global and has since been a part of environmental issues across over 100 countries.

While many will be putting in an effort to make a visible difference in our environment this Earth Day, some may be wondering how clean things are below the surface. Last week, financial analysis website Wallethub put out a report looking at eco-friendliness in each state.

WalletHub ranked Wisconsin at No. 20 among the union with 61 points altogether. To find the rankings, the online publication compared each state in environmental quality, eco-friendly behavoirs and climate-change contributions. Data was pulled about emissions per capita, state policies, gasoline and water consumption, building eco scores, air quality and more.

Read the full study from Wallethub on 2023's greenest states and how Wisconsin stacks up.

You might still be wondering, what exactly can you do to help when we have big polluters and larger problems altogether? Here's what some experts said through Wallethub.

"Think about how you can reduce the carbon footprint in your own life: electrify household uses (heat, hot water, cooking, clothes drying, vehicles) when possible, think about consumption and try to reduce the purchase of single-use or low-quality items," said Heather Payne, an associate professor at Seton Hall University School of Law. "It is also important for individuals to recognize that decarbonization and the electrification of everything will be cheaper systematically than what we have today, and even more so if we take all the safety and health impacts into account.”

Jospeh F. C. DiMento, a professor at the University of California Irvine School of Law, mentioned participation as one key factor.

"Go to local and other government meetings on development projects. Comment there. Write to local news outlets and blogs. Write to your representatives and ask others to," said DiMento. "Be persistent and polite but clear and strong about your involvement and message. If you are facing seriously negative responses, consider litigation.”