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Earth Day 2024: What it is and how to get involved
Earth Day may be a mystery to many in Bristol, but it has a remarkable place in the story of today’s global environment movement, and there are plenty of ways to get involved in the celebrations locally.
On its launch in 1970, 20 million Americans – 10% of the US population at the time – took to the streets to demand action on environmental devastation.
The event was directly responsible for the creation of landmark environmental laws in America including the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species acts; and it spurred on the formation of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
is needed now More than ever
The United Nations chose Earth Day 2016 to sign the Paris Climate Agreement, considered the most positive collective achievement in terms of legislating to limit climate change impacts worldwide.
Since that first event, Earth Day has become the world’s largest annual civic event, mobilising over 1 billion people across 192 countries to come together on April 22 and take action for a healthier environment.
2024’s Earth Day theme is People vs Plastic. Organisers want to see a 60% reduction in the production of all plastics by 2040.
Read on for a wealth of official celebrations and Earth Day-adjacent events in Bristol to get involved in this year, with activities to suit all palettes.
Deep Time Walk, Ashton Court Estate, 20 April: 11am – 4pm
Creatively explore the vastness of earth’s 4.6 billion year evolution, with each step representing 1 million years. The 4.6km deep time walk across Ashton Court Estate will represent a geological timeline, with a lunch stop at the point 2.3 billion years ago when organisms released enough oxygen into the atmosphere to create today’s breathable environment. There will be pauses for reflection and creative writing along the way.
People vs Plastics – Bristol Ideas at Sparks Bristol:
Re-Thrindle presents Fashion Narratives, April 20: 2 – 6pm
A session exploring fashion in the context of the industry’s waste as the biggest producer of plastic waste. There’ll be inspiring talks from figures from Bristol’s sustainable fashion scene, a chance to get creative with clothes, and a clothes swap.
Birdhouse making, April 21: 11am – 6pm
Make a birdhouse from plastic waste, watch films on environment actions taken round the world to combat the plastic problem and share ways you reduce your own plastic waste.
Trash Free Trails ran their first spring clean in Bristol for Earth Day 2023 – photo: Sam Dugon
Trash Free Trails Spring Clean, Ashton Court Estate, April 21: 11am
Get on your bike and hit the trails for an innovative trash clean and citizen science project with prizes and free pints at the end. Trash Free Trails identifies and reports on the level of rubbish found in public footpaths across England. They’ve teamed up with Trek Bikes and Pedal Progression – offering a discount on bike hire for the day – and North Face Explorer Elise Downing will join the ride in support of their Sign Up to Clean Up campaign.
Following their bumper local tree planting season, Sustainable Clevedon are hosting a festival encouraging a shift towards greener lifestyles, with music, comedy, film, discussions, food and stalls – photo: Sustainable Clevedon
Green Shift Festival, Clevedon, April 20-21: 2pm-late
Curzon Cinema partners with Sustainable Clevedon on a green-themed festival with talks, films, comedy, children’s activities, stalls and music. A shop beneath the cinema will be converted into a Climate Hub each day.
Ruth Gofton from Sustainable Clevedon said: “Green Shift aims to share ideas for practical actions across the community on the environment, nature and carbon reduction in the face of climate and biodiversity crises.”
It follows the group’s record winter tree planting season, with 555 trees distributed and planted across Clevedon.
Programme highlights include City to Sea’s Natalie Fee, climate change comedian Matt Winning, music from Seth Bye of Filkin’s Drift and a political panel of local representatives pitching their potential post-election solutions to environment issues.
Worth the Weight, Paintworks, April 21: 10am – 4pm
A weight-based sale of vintage stock, priced at £20 per kilo. Have a rummage and find your new favourite outfits while saving those pre-loved items from landfill. Worth the Weight was founded in 2018 as a way of fighting the climate impacts of fast fashion.
Bee Line Walk and Talk, UWE Bristol, April 22: 12.30 – 4.30pm
Explore the grounds of UWE’s campus where orchards, herb beds and a community garden are to be found. Learn more about how the biodiversity on campus supports pollinators and take home freshly-picked fruits and vegetables.
Wiper and True has joined forces with Yakima Chief to create an Earth Day pale ale using eco-friendly hop innovations – photo: Wiper & True
Guided tasting: Ah Mah’s Dumplings & Yakima Chief Hops, Wiper & True, April 24: 7 – 9pm
The brewery celebrate Earth Day with a food-and-drink special that includes 5 paired courses of beer and Cantonese dumplings created by Anita Cheung using ethical sourced ingredients. The day marks the release of a collaborative pale ale from Yakima Chief Hops and Wiper & True which showcases ‘eco-friendly hop innovations’. The brewery will also discuss their own sustainability efforts.
Our Earth, Our Future: Transform our World youth summit, online, April 24
A conference for 4-18 year olds on all things environment including storytime, nature connection, an animal kingdom quiz, a session on getting started with community action and a food ethics debate. There’s also a teacher training workshop led by Future Foundations.
Plant Power, Easton Community Centre, April 24: 6 – 9pm
The launch of Easton’s climate action programme is celebrated with a screening of Plant Power, a film documenting the life-changing experience of communities in some of the most nature-deprived areas of Bristol coming together to grow and tend plants during the lockdowns of 2020.
The Bristol Rainforest will be there to host an interactive session on how to build communities working with nature, and Friends of the Earth Bristol will talk about their Nature Rising project.
Hip-Hop Gardens masterclass, BIMM, April 30: 4.30-6.30pm
The award-winning project that uses food growing and hip-hop to transform young lives presents a special showcase for Earth Day. KMT, an artist using hip-hop for positive social and environmental change, and MoYah, a political refugee working with music for self-exploration and expression, discuss ways to incorporate sustainable and regenerative practices into an artistic career. There will be a Q&A, performance and jam, and a workshop on creative writing with nature in mind.
City to Sea Turn the Tide appeal with the Big Give, until April 25
The Bristol organisation leading the UK’s fight against single-use plastic is raising funds to eliminate waste from rivers. 150m+ tonnes of plastic have accumulated in the world’s oceans, over 80% of which has travelled there via rivers, impacting wildlife and ecosystems along the way. All donations to the campaign will be doubled when received between April 18 and 25.
Get Weird Garms had a special t-shirt designed for their Earth Day part in 2023 – photo: Get Weird
Get Weird Earth Day 2023 t-shirts
For those that can’t get involved in a live event on the ground this year, or just have a bit of 2023 nostalgia, the team at Get Weird has some leftover garms from last year’s celebration of what they call ‘the best bloody holiday in the calendar’.
The event at uber cool underground warehouse venue Green Works in Brislington was powered by Green King sound system and featured a ‘naughty crew of selectas.’ The leafy green leftover tees include a Love Natural design and the Earth Day date, 22 April 23. They’re labelled official ‘anti-babylon equipment’.
Main photo: City to Sea
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