What Earth Day Means to Direct2Care

Every year, on April 22nd, humans all around the world celebrate our home — planet Earth. First observed in April 1970 and organized by Senator Gaylord Nelson and activist Denis Hayes, Earth Day was created to spread awareness to environmental issues such as oil spills, endangered species, and conservation efforts. The official theme for Earth Day 2024 is “Planet vs. Plastics”, with the goal of 60% reduction of plastic reproduction by 2040. The first goal of this year’s Earth Day theme is to promote awareness of the damage done to “human, animal, and all biodiversity’s health”. 

The health of our planet directly correlates to the health of us all. For example, natural disasters such as oil spills can include increased cancer risk, reproductive problems; air pollution, caused by vehicle emissions and natural gas, increases the risk of “respiratory infections, heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer”; contaminated water is linked to the “transmission of diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and polio”. To reiterate this year’s Earth Day theme, plastic in the form of microplastics (from single-use water bottles, for example), can lead to health issues such as “endocrine disruption, weight gain, insulin resistance, decreased reproductive health, and cancer”. The physical state of our planet impacts us directly, and we all have skin in the game. 

Direct2Care is deeply concerned with the state of our planet and our well-being. To us, Earth Day not only provides us the opportunity to show gratitude to our planet, but also allows us to reflect upon how we can be better citizens of it. As previously noted, we all have vested interest in that state of our planet and ecosystem. To Direct2Care, Earth Day means that we all have the chance to leave Earth in a better place than how we found it. 

For starters, the virtual care that Direct2Care offers is not only convenient, but in terms of vehicle emissions, it is much better for the planet as well. According to the Pew Research Center, on average, rural Americans live a 17 minute drive to their nearest hospital, suburban Americans live a 12 minute drive from their nearest hospital, and urban Americans live a 10.5 minute drive from their nearest hospital. For rural Americans, that is a 10.5 mile drive. While it may not feel significant, there is an impact on the planet when you choose to partake in a virtual care appointment on the Direct2Care app, versus dropping your kids off at a sitter, and then driving to the nearest hospital. In terms of time and carbon emissions, telemedicine is Earth friendly. Telemedicine has been shown, depending upon the context, to reduce the carbon footprint of healthcare — the carbon footprint savings range is “.70-372kg CO₂e per consultation”. 

Here are five sustainable habits that you can start incorporating into your daily schedule to help our planet. After all, there is no planet B! 

• Conserve water
  • Turn water off while you are brushing your teeth.
  • Only run your dishwasher or washing machine when they are full. 
• Reuse when possible
  • Eliminate single-use products such as paper napkins, towels, utensils, and plastic water bottles.
• Go meatless once a week
  • According to the Monday Campaign, not eating any beef every Monday of the year will end up saving enough carbon emissions equivalent to driving 348 miles! 
• Walk or bike when you can
  • As noted, driving cars has a tangible effect on our environment. Whether it is choosing a Direct2Care virtual care appointment — which takes less than ten minutes on average to connect to a provider on — or your commute to work, walking and biking is not only good for you, but for the environment as well.
• Eat seasonally
  • Research what fruits and vegetables are in-season and eat according to nature’s schedule. These foods are better for you, and are more sustainable for the planet!