Happy Earth Day: Environmental stories for dog owners, animal lovers, and climate activists

It's the greenest day of the year- Earth Day! This is the second Earth Day, April 22nd, we've celebrated during the COVID-19 pandemic. It saddens me that a year later Ontario is in worse shape. I hope you find a safe way to do something positive for the planet today. Interested in learning more about living sustainably and fighting climate change? Check out the green headlines on Paws For Reaction! These are the best posts about climate change, pollution, wildlife, the outdoors, and environmental action. 

Covid-19 and climate change: Pandemic's positive impacts on pollution were temporary, but damaging effects will be lasting

Climate change took a backseat in the media as the planet's greatest threat when the Covid-19 pandemic swept the globe in 2020. It's been more than a year since the first Covid-positive case was reported and we are entering another lockdown in Ontario. Looking back, I remember how optimistic I was the first time we entered a lockdown. Not just optimistic about the health and safety of our nation, but optimistic for the health of the planet. During that lockdown, we saw wildlife emerge from the wilderness and take their rightful place in our urban areas that were one their home. We saw marine life break the surface of the water in places it had not been seen before. The planet took a deep, cleansing breath. 

Cleaning the Capital: Campaign on hold but litter collection doesn't have to be

I was excited to register for the Cleaning the Capital spring campaign and participate in city-wide trash collection during Earth Month. The pandemic delivered me another disappointment when the City of Ottawa announced the Cleaning the Capital Spring campaign would be placed on hold due to the current Ontario COVID-19 lockdown. My intention when I registered was to do trash collection on my own, so I could stay safe and physically distance from others. We are encouraged to only leave the home when it's essential, but I consider picking up litter in my neighborhood to be essential.