Guest post by the Rocking the Daisies team

Seems like Earth Day is going to be a bit of a damp squib in South Africa this year. Given that it’s the national election day, and how important democratic elections are for the country, I guess we are somewhat off the hook though.

However, let’s take this opportunity to reflect on what we can be doing every single day to protect the environment. At the end of the day it’s the  small, sustainable changes, such as buying organic products, recycling and saving water, that are going to make a big impact.

This leads me nicely to the one SA-based initiative I have come across, called Earth Mosaic – which is for all the budding (and professional) photographers out there. Devised by a pair of South Africans, the idea is that where ever you are in the world you can send in a picture of your Earth. These will all be melded together to form a giant mosaic – representing what can be achieved if everyone does their little bit.

You can find out more about Earth Day here. It has been recognised every 22 April since 1970, the date recognised as when environmental issues were first placed on the US political agenda.

To get you started, here are some ideas from the Earth Day Team for things you can do in your everyday life to help protect the environment.

Rocking the Daisies, South Africa’s first carbon-neutral music festival, achieved carbon-neutral status for the first time and this year will do the same thanks to the use of environmentally friendly practices and products. The festival’s motto is: play hard, tread lightly.