For a green business like mine, Earth Day is a lot like Christmas. There is no tree or presents. But there are celebrations world-wide  focusing on what Earth Day means and why the spirit of Earth Day – much like the spirit of Christmas – should really last all year long.

Earth Day celebrates the wonders of our planet.

For me Earth Day is:

1. A celebration of our planet’s natural wonders – on land, in the sea and in the air. People are a part of that. Feeling down? Get outside and feel better. There’s research that shows how powerful that connection is. On this 45th anniversary of Earth Day, just going for a walk in the great outdoors is an easy, healthy way to celebrate.

2. An invitation to use your energy, creativity and sense of purpose – in whatever way fits you best – to be part of the solution to climate change. It’s a complex problem. But with complexity comes the opportunity to do what inspires you.

You’ll find that loving your work makes a HUGE difference in loving your life. Climate change means that we all need to re-invent our lives in greener, more sustainable ways. That gives you the chance to create work you love in the context of  building that future.

3. A chance to act.  I act by writing about people and companies who are making the sustainable changes we need to see. By spreading that knowledge, I hope educate, inspire and move people to act in similar, sustainable ways.

There are so many ways to help. Do you want to figure out better recycling processes? Create innovative green financing options?  Invent new algorithms that use the big data present in climate models?  Look around. Talk to people. Find their pain points and match them to your joyful expertise.

Need ideas? Peruse the Green Dream Jobs Board, brought to you by Sustainablebiz.com.

It’s not too late to join in the Earth Day fun. To find an event near you, click here and put in your zip code. Let’s be climate-aware out there!

April is my favorite month because it includes “Earth Day”  on April 22.

For green businesses like mine, April is really more like “Earth Month” – a month-long celebration of all things green and sustainable.

Check out the Earth Day events going on worldwide, and decide where you’d like to participate. Or start an event of your own. You’re likely to find food, fun and friends wherever you go.

When the Crimson is Proud to Be Green 

As part of my Earth Day celebration, I’m giving a special shout-out to my alma mater – Harvard University – for its ongoing efforts to create a more sustainable world. These efforts range from leading-edge research to offering students over 200 courses on energy, sustainability and the environment, to greening the actual operations of all of Harvard’s schools. This happens all year long.

Given that Harvard’s official color is crimson, the idea of a green.harvard is both wonderfully ironic and exciting.

Learn about sustainability from Harvard’s experts – for free

You don’t need a Harvard degree to understand what sustainability is. Check out their page of Topics to see the breadth of what’s involved. Click on any one of them for details on how Harvard is approaching it.

For example, pick “Food” as a topic, and see how they’re thinking about new ways of growing it, distributing it, and avoiding food waste.

There are no tests or grades! Just information that – with a little creativity – you can use in your own life.

Divestment – Come On, Harvard…

While I salute Harvard for all it has done and is doing, I wish they would also divest from fossil fuels. The size of Harvard’s endowment is the stuff of legend – $36.4 billion in 2014. Divestment from fossil fuels would be a major statement from one of the most famous universities in the world.

It’s the kind of action that’s needed to grab the attention and shape the thinking of millions of people. It’s no silver bullet, but Harvard could add its weight to the positive momentum around sustainability issues.

Harvard is helping build a greener future for everyone

Two things I appreciate about Harvard are (1) they maintain a wonderful sense of history as they go about inventing the future AND (2) they ask their students, teachers and alumni to be their best selves and bring that to the rest of the world. That sense of responsibility for making the world a better place was palpable in my time there.

I can think of no better way to uphold that tradition than to “make a ruckus” – as Seth Godin says – about sustainable living, working and learning. And I salute Harvard’s efforts to do that every day.

Welcome, spring! If you’re champing at the bit to get out and enjoy the season, here are 10 tips for doing so in a more sustainable fashion. (This is a post I wrote for the Sustany Foundation.)

10 Tips for a More Sustainable Spring

And tomorrow, April 1, is not just April Fool’s Day. It’s also the start of what many people consider to be “Earth Month.” Earth Day is April 22, but eco-friendly events happen all month long. Join in!