Today is Earth Day. A day that we symbolically want to dedicate to our planet, but which must remind us that Every day is Earth Day.
Earth, the only planet we have to live on. A planet that we cannot treat badly 364 days a year and then remind ourselves, on April 22, of how important this planet is to us.
A planet that for us Local Guides is even more important, because the virtual representation on which we contribute, Google Maps, has an impact on the real life of all of us.
This year’s Earth Day theme gives us an important message: Invest in Our planet
What does “Investing in Our Planet” mean? In a very simple way we could say that it means guaranteeing a future for humanity. A future that at this moment is by no means guaranteed, since what humanity has done in the last century has contributed to creating extreme conditions, conditions that in a few decades could become absolutely adverse to human life.
Therefore “Investing in Our Planet” means working, acting, behaving, to ensure that the planet remains a hospitable place for us, a place where we can live.
Since this is the community of Local Guides, my question to you is: What can we do as Local Guides, to ensure that the Earth remains a planet where we can live?
Taking care of the environment, I would say, starting with the advice of 5 easy ways you can help the environment on Google Maps.
And of course we can act in so many different ways.
We can lead by example and create awareness, with movements like Local Guides Clean The World, which a few days ago reached its fifth year of activity. Acting to Clean-up The World is not only important for the act itself, but also because it serves to create awareness in the people who watch us. We have taken many actions over the years, and you can find them all described here in Connect, or by exploring the “Mymaps of plastic pollution”. Looking right at today, April 22, 2023, we can follow Cecilita’s splendid meet-up in Buenos Aires: Meet-Up: Earth Day - Buenos Aires 2023
Why don’t you organize one yourself? As I said, every day is Earth day
Then we can add all the Recycling drop-off locations in Maps, so that people find them, and do not abandon waste in the environment If you want to know how to do that, you can read Recycling drop-off locations #onGoogleMaps. This one is the last I have added in Maps, just two days ago: https://goo.gl/maps/3PghmZucGb17LYad9
We can follow, and with our example educate others to follow the principle of the three Rs, explained here by Jesi, or the even broader one of the six Rs.
And we can update the information in Maps, adding the environmental features of places.
Sustainable tourism
But “Local Guides is [also] a global community of explorers”, we love to discover places and share them with others.
We like to travel and to see new places, so what about thinking also about sustainable tourism? Being Local Guides, we have the knowledge to add and improve the information about places, making them easy to find for everyone. We can help others to find and choose “alternative destinations” avoiding the overcrowded traditional destinations of mass tourism.
E.g. This is an historical village added in maps by me 8 months ago: Canaie Vecio
I personally also like to add water fountains and Picnic areas in hiking areas, to make it easier for the people to visit. Places like this one https://goo.gl/maps/hSxPkmJ5hfrdDAYWA
What about you?
How do you “Invest in our planet”?
What do you want to suggest to the community, for improving sustainability, to reduce pollution, to use less resources, to reach a “zero waste” goal?
Can’t wait to read your comments.
Happy Earth Day to everyone
day…
, my calendar or Rather me as a local guide had no clue of this Day "22nd of April " until I saw your post on social media. I could see Google search Doodle , but did get it after the post by you… Thanks for putting this down helping us understand meticulously the importance of making Everyday Earth Day , in our communities 
. Grazie 
