With the hustle and bustle of human civilization reduced to whatever services are deemed essential.
Birthday 2020 is shaping up to be unlike any we've seen before.
emissions are down, the air is cleaner and animals are stretching their legs in new and unusual places from Welsh goats striding through a seaside town to an uptake in bear sightings in Yosemite, which closed its doors to the public on March 20.
The coronavirus pandemic is also a stark reminder that public health is inextricably linked to the health of our environment.
A recent Harvard study looked at more than 3,000 US counties and concluded that in areas with more air pollution, COVID-19 patients had a greater risk of dying from the virus.
All of this sets the stage for the 50th annual Earth Day.
And while we can't take to the streets in the millions like they did at the first Earth Day, 50 years ago, there's still lots of ways that you can celebrate Earth Day and participate from home.
Here's a few
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If you're unsure of how to get involved or where to start, there's an app for that.
Earth Day 2020 has an official app called Earth Challenge 2020 in the Google Play and Apple App Store.
Once you download and sign in on the app, it challenges you to take photos of plastic and air pollution around you.
All building what Earth day.org calls the world's largest citizen science effort.
Next up the revolution will not be televised but you can stream Earth Day live by going to Earth Day live 2020 dot org.
This three day live stream begins April 22 and features all star guests like Joaquin Phoenix hip hop legend taalib quality, as well as activists and thought leaders including Ilyasah Shabazz Daughter of civil rights icon Malcolm X.
Each day of this livestream will focus on a different element in the fight for climate action which is the theme of this year's Earth Day.
One day is dedicated to striking, one day is dedicated to divesting and one day is dedicated to voting.
Another great way to get involved is to join a digital Earth Day event in your area.
Earthday.org has a map where you can view other people's actions around the globe to get inspired or add your own ideas to the mix.
If you're looking for something more in the spirit of awareness campaigns like the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, you can make some noise on social media.
The Earth Day Network has partnered with Hazon, the Jewish Lab for Sustainability, to encourage people all over the world to post a video of themselves ringing bells or blowing [UNKNOWN] or doing whatever it is you do to make noise with the hashtag, sound the call.
My last suggestion for how to celebrate Health Day from home this year is to educate yourself on how our health is connected to the health of our environment.
To start, here's some eye opening documentaries you can stream on Netflix while self isolating on Health Day.
There's something in the water is a documentary about the deadly scourge of environmental racism co directed by Ellen Page.
Chasing coral follows filmmakers racing to document on video the mass coral bleaching events occurring due to our changing climate.
Lastly, the devil we know is a documentary about a toxic chemical now found in the blood of 99% of Americans and how it got there.
We've obviously got a long way to go to protect this big beautiful rock that we call home.
But I hope you found these Earth Day suggestions helpful.
If you've got additional suggestions for how to celebrate Earth Day from home, hit me up on Twitter at Jesse Orrall I'll be retweeting my favorite suggestions all week long.
Happy Earth Day everyone, stay safe out there.
