Today and all month long, we’re honoring Earth Day. It’s the 50^th anniversary of this tradition, which began as an organized call to action – when on April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans gathered in unified protests across the country to demand a new, sustainable approach to how humans interact with the natural world. This first event sparked what is now the modern environmental movement and remains to this day the planet’s largest civic event.

Each year, Earth Day features a theme to rally participants and supporters. For 2020, the theme is “climate action,” as explained on earthday.org:

The enormous challenge — but also the vast opportunities — of action on climate change have distinguished the issue as the most pressing topic for the 50th anniversary. Climate change represents the biggest challenge to the future of humanity and the life-support systems that make our world habitable.”

How to Act on Climate Change during Coronavirus?

As climate change exists as “the biggest challenge to the future of humanity,” we now layer on another huge challenge – coronavirus. This may feel overwhelming and disempowering, but there are ways to stay positive and make the most of where we find ourselves.

Yes, a pandemic has forced us to change our usual activities and forego in-person groups, but it does not force us to take no action for the environment this year. And yes, we are physically distancing, but technology connects and empowers us more than ever before!

Shelter-in-place orders compelled companies to shift to entirely online models for everything from meetings to conferences to training, which certainly hasn’t been easy, but there may be positive lessons learned during this period. Some companies may discover that employees actually prefer online training, for example, and appreciate the conveniences that it affords. Companies may also start crunching numbers on how much money and productivity time they can save with eLearning versus traditional training, which usually implies offsite (i.e. requiring travel).

eLearning: Training that Sustains the Environment

The world may never return to what we formerly perceived as “normal.” Organizations and individuals will need to continue to adapt to new ways of doing things, but again, not all of this is for the worst. We’re finding new ways to do business and “do life,” but given that much of that is now digital, it also happens to be more environmentally friendly.

Indeed, there’s never been a better time for eLearning. On Earth Day 2020 and beyond, you can make a positive contribution to the planet by leveraging online learning to eliminate unnecessary travel, reduce carbon emissions, and lessen usage of physical resources like plastic, paper, and ink. In fact, the U.K.’s Open University Design Innovation Group (DIG) found that online learning consumes up to 90 percent less energy compared to traditional sources.

Right now, online learning may be the only option, but it’s also the more environmental option, regardless of whether there’s a crisis happening. We’ve created a video and other resources to show some of the ways that eLearning is one simple way that companies can help support the planet – as it continues to support us with its magnificent beauty and power.

Have a happy Earth Day and please visit www.litmos.com/sustain for more info.