Publish Date: April 22nd, 2025
It’s Earth Day 2025, y’all! Earth Day has always been a day to sit in reverence for our Earth and take meaningful action, but in a year as chaotic as this one, those things are fundamental acts of reconnection with our beautiful planet.
But what does meaningful action even mean? And does it make any difference? After all, aren’t the things we’re facing massive in scale?
We’ll get into what meaningful action is in this blog and the difference it can make. But know that yes, your actions do make a difference.
At Namaste Solar, we’re all about making a difference together, using collaboration and coming together to solve problems, and finding ways that we can create a positive impact in our communities while knowing that each single effort adds up to bigger change.
So, if you’ve been in a bit of a doom and gloom cycle, we get it. But your actions do matter. Small actions build momentum and focusing on the intention rather than the outcome will help you to stick it out for the long-haul.
Look at The Past for Hope for the Future
Today, Earth Day is an annual event that almost all are familiar with. Schools and communities across the country host cleanups, webinars gather inspirational speakers, and social media is a flash of green imagery.
If we’re being honest, Earth Day can often feel a bit benign and impotent as far as social change goes. The day comes and goes, and everything returns to business as usual. But by looking back at the origins of Earth Day we are reminded of how individual action can impact the collective and form a movement.
Earth Day was first proposed by peace activist John McConnell and then sponsored as a national event by Senator Gaylord Nelson. From there, the idea took off, and organizers rallied people to the cause. The first Earth Day was observed on April 22, 1970, and an estimated 20 million people participated in events across the country.
A rally in New York. Source: Environmental Action Coalition, NYPL
One person had the idea and inspiration for the day. One person used their position to sponsor a national holiday. And from there individuals grew the idea into a major event. That single event continued to build until it has now become a staple of American culture and beyond – more than 190 countries now observe Earth Day!
So don’t take Earth Day for granted. Remember the impact a simple idea and a single individual can have on the world, the community, the neighborhood, etc. It all adds up!
Tangible Ways to Have an Impact Today
There’s a lot of noise in today’s world. From news to advertising to social media, it can all feel like too much. And it’s easy to feel that your voice, and your actions, are drowned out.
Sometimes it’s true that to be heard on a grand scale, you need the right amplification. But each of us has a sphere of influence where we can make a difference even if we whisper. Because of that sphere of influence, individual actions alone do matter.
Our individual actions turn into collective action when people are moving in the same direction, not necessarily perfectly together but close enough. This is when momentum can build, and we can absorb the passion and energy from others and support each other. It’s where you can take a break because others will still be there working. And you’ll be there working when they need a break.
So, what are some tangible ways that impact is being had today?
- Using Your Buying Power Intentionally – Money speaks volumes in our culture, and it’s a way to have an impact. One big corporation might not feel a hit if you stop shopping there but one small, local business will absolutely feel the positive impact of you shopping there instead. It’s been found that local businesses generate 70% more local economic activity per square foot compared to large retailers. Our money builds the economy, and you vote with your dollar every time you shop. When it comes to collective action, long-lasting boycotts are the way to impact larger corporations. Also, in a culture where consumption is overly encouraged, actively choosing not to consume is rewriting the narrative and choosing to place value elsewhere.
- Organizing or Attending a Rally, Protest, or Community Event – You’ll make a splash when you stand and speak for your values in a compassionate way. Whether it’s at a legislative hearing, on the lawn of your capital, or at an organized Earth Day rally. You can find all the 2025 Earth Week events happening around the world here. Rallies and protests might not have immediate large-scale impact, but with clear goals and messaging, these events can signal to others a change in public opinion, help the community feel empowered, and put pressure on those in positions of power. If done well, public opinion, voting, and public policy can all be influenced by rallies and protests.
- Calling Your Representatives – In 2025, there’s been a 3900% increase in calls to Congress. And this increase has made it difficult for lawmakers to ignore their constituents. Your singular call is important. A dripping faucet will get noticed. The calls of thousands – water rushing out of the faucet – is impossible to ignore. You can find out who your representative is and what they’re phone number is here.
- Working the Land (Even Suburban Land) – Pollinators need food and a safe refuge. Since that habitat is dwindling in a lot of places, gardens in urban areas are a lifeline for all types of creatures. If you create one pollinator garden, you’re creating that safe refuge and providing fuel for insects that benefit the whole ecosystem. And if others in your neighborhood joined in, you’d create a network for pollinators to follow. Currently, there’s at least one pollinator garden per block in many US communities due to 64.1 million American adults purchasing plants that benefit pollinators. You can get pollinator gardens locally from Resource Central, the City of Fort Collins, or join the network of Bee Safe Neighborhoods nationwide.
- Going Solar – When you go solar, you benefit individually with long-term cost savings, increased home value, and the security of locking in energy prices for decades to come. Solar also has far reaching and long-lasting environmental impacts. And when a whole neighborhood goes solar? That impact is massive. The greenhouse gas emissions avoided skyrocket and the visual commitment to a cleaner future is influential. Bit by bit, our country is moving towards a cleaner energy grid. In fact, March of 2025 was the first month ever where clean energy met more energy demand on the US grid than fossil fuels making clean energy generation higher than fossil fuels. Each home that goes solar contributes to the building momentum for renewable energy. Your solar journey with Namaste Solar starts with a free quote. You can get one here.
A Front Range solar installation by Namaste Solar.
Act Now, Act Often
Individual action is impactful on its own because we all have a sphere of influence. And it always becomes more impactful when people join together.
The future you want to see isn’t going to arrive with one big action. Just as our daily lives aren’t built off one big thing but rather thousands of smaller choices.
Remember, building the future you want to see is more of a way you live than a thing you do. It’s the philosophy that directs your thoughts and actions, it’s the way you interact with others, and it’s something you’re committed to alongside others who share values.
If you’re interested in going solar this Earth Day, we invite you to join our movement and our collective action to power our future with clean energy. Our non-commissioned advisors would love to see how we can build a system that fits your needs, goals, and specific circumstances. And if solar isn’t the right choice for you right now, we’ll support that and still answer any questions you have. To connect with our experts, click the button below.
