The Abbi Agency
Guide to Earth Day
Here at TAA, we have a deep and unceasing love for Mother Earth, and by extension, for Earth Day! So, take a walk with us— we want to show off some of the sustainable, eco-friendly stuff we’ve got going on for Earth Day and beyond. On our stroll, we’ll also be talking a little about the history of Earth Day, as well as a few Nevada volunteering opportunities you can check out to make this year’s celebration of our planet truly unbe-leaf-able. If you’re hungry for more delicious tidbits of knowledge, head over to the rest of our blog!
A Quick History of Earth Day
Gather round, and let us tell you a story. We’re going back to 1970— for some context, “ABC” by the Jackson 5 is the #1 song in the United States. “Ecology” and “sustainability” are not yet household terms. There is no Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or Clean Water Act to protect delicate ecosystems from being ravaged by industry. The American public is keenly aware that just the year before, an oil well near the coast of Santa Barbara exploded, resulting in a cataclysmic oil spill that, at the time, proved to be the largest in United States history. In 1970, the environment is crumbling before their very eyes.
A 53-year old Senator from Wisconsin named Gaylord Nelson decided to take action. Nelson, a known proponent of environmentalism throughout the 1960s, was inspired and impressed by the dedication shown by grassroots communities across the US. In a stroke of marketing genius that should be the envy of agencies everywhere, Nelson’s staff took out a full-page ad in the New York Times on January 18, 1970. The ad states its message plainly, in bold text against a stark background. A subtitle somberly posits:
“A disease has infected our country. It has brought smog to Yosemite, dumped garbage in the Hudson, sprayed DDT in our food, and left our cities in decay. Its carrier is man.”
The rest of the ad (in tiny text we doubt would pass modern ADA standards) announces that on April 22 of that year, a country-wide demonstration for a clean environment would take place. Though plenty of buzz surrounded the event, no one expected the massive support that would be shown by the American public for this newcomer holiday. In an undeniably impressive display of grassroots activism, more than 20 million people showed up for the first Earth Day. The rest, as they say, is history.
Bold, Big-Hearted, Benevolent, Boundary-Breaking, B Corp.
We’re not sure if you’ve heard, but The Abbi Agency is actually a Certified B Corporation! If you didn’t know, that’s okay— allow us to reintroduce ourselves. This designation is only given to businesses who can prove they are meeting the highest standards of performance, accountability, and transparency, especially when it comes to environmental and social responsibility.
To us, the B Corp designation isn’t just a shiny new badge we get to put on our website (though that’s a pretty cool perk). It’s more— it’s a promise. An affirmation. And most of all, a glimpse into our beating heart. A window into the better world have the pleasure of building, together. Even from our earliest days, we’ve thought differently, acted differently and believed that an agency can reach higher by moving beyond the tired practices of the past.
The (Sustainable) Company We Keep
We have the honor of being among eight other Certified B Corporations in the state of Nevada. We can only hope that our numbers will continue to grow, a hive of B Corps dedicated to the ultimate Queen B — Mother Earth. Check out our fellow Nevada B Corps below!
Law Office Of Lara Pearson & Brand Geek
National Financial Educators Council
Returns On Wellbeing Institute
Love Carmel like a Local
Sustainable travel is all the rage, and our client Visit Carmel was a prime destination for travelers looking to go green even when they’re far from home. We amplified the Love Carmel Like a Local, an initiative to promote tourism while mitigating its impacts, all by harnessing its regenerative power for the community and the environment. Prospective visitors were invited to learn about efforts to protect Carmel through new web, video, press releases, guest blogs and social content, paying special attention to “Know Before You Go” information and opportunities for “Voluntourism.”
Edgewood Tahoe Resort
Edgewood Tahoe Resort is fully cognizant of Lake Tahoe’s vast environmental importance. In fact, you could say that every decision at this stunning luxury resort is made with sustainability in mind. The Lodge at Edgewood Tahoe actually earned a LEED silver certification, which means it saves money, improves efficiency, lower carbon emissions, and create healthier places for people. On top of that, the resort is constantly striving to minimize their impact and leave the land better than they found it, implementing eco-friendly initiatives like sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics, the utilization of locally-sourced materials, and numerous design characteristics that reduce Edgewood Tahoe’s ecological impact. We might be a little biased, but we highly recommend a stay at this sustainably chic resort.
Murrieta Super Bloom
If you’ve never heard of the California Super Bloom, you’re missing out on one of Mother Nature’s most splendorous events. This super-rare ecological event is when a vast amount of wildflowers germinate and blossom at the same time. The 2023 Super Bloom is the first one in four years! This also means, however, it’s more important than ever that this phenomenon is protected. Our client, the sunny Murrieta California, had a chance to promote awareness of the Super Bloom while emphasizing sustainable messaging and responsible travel. A shiny new landing page and some cool retro branding later, we were in business.
Waste Management
Becoming a champion of a cause isn’t an easy task, but it is certainly worthwhile. We teamed up with Waste Management and invited people to become a Recycling Champion in their communities using a Recycling Ambassador Program with local influential individuals. Through the power of social media, we were able to educate the community about proper recycling techniques, with the main goals of smoothly transitioning into new disposal protocols and ensuring that violators of recycling rules were changing bad habits after the first or second warning.
Get Involved in Your Community!
We don’t want to imply that you have to be part of some massive advertising campaign to make an impact— quite the opposite, in fact! If all of us committed to even one or two sustainable lifestyle choices, our positive impact will grow to be profound. It will bloom into something deeply felt— not just by us, but also by our communities, and our environment as a whole. So, how do you even begin to “go green”? We’re glad you asked. Here are some simple ways to live a more eco-friendly life!
- Bike to work or other places in your area
- Walk your dog and pick up trash along the way
- Use a canteen for water or other beverages
- Use less energy and do energy conservation activities
- Plant new trees or flowers around your home or local park to promote a stronger ecosystem
- Turn your garden into an eco-friendly haven
- Reduce the amount of plastic in your home
- Recycle
- Get outside for a nature walk or hike
Nevada Volunteering Opportunities
Wanting to get involved in an even bigger way? We applaud you! Here are a few Earth Day volunteering opportunities you can choose from in the Reno/Las Vegas communities. Who knows— you might even see a few familiar faces from TAA at one of them!
Conclusion:
You’ve probably gotten the idea by now, but we’ll say it again for good measure: The Abbi Agency seeks out, appreciates, and takes pride in work that changes the world. We move in and out of many spheres at our agency, from tech, to travel, to education, to development, to everything in between. All of them converge to form a tried-and-true foundation of impactful, intentional work.
Looking to change the world? Us too. Let’s do it together.
