Last week I dyed my hair purple to help save the rainforest, and I felt empowered from more than just saving endangered species. I knew from the moment I saw the Purple for the Planet campaign that it was something I had to do. I’ve always strived to “go green,” and dye my hair an unnatural color (Not green). Therefore, posting a picture with purple hair to save five acres of rainforest land seemed like it would kill two birds with one stone.
The campaign was run by Sambazon, a purple acai berry harvesting company. They have been buying acres of rainforest land to safely harvest their berries, and vowed to donate five acres of this rainforest for every person to post a selfie with purple hair on social media and use the hashtag #PurpleforthePlanet. These posts were counted between Earth Day, April 22nd, to World Biodiversity Day, May 22nd, with the goal of saving 17,520 acres of rainforest.
I am happy to announce that they did make their goal, even exceeded it, and saved about 30 species of animals from going extinct as a result.
Many people don’t think about the how the rainforest affects the health of the rest of our planet. In fact, they regulate our climate by holding over half the earth’s water and constantly going through the water cycle. The rainforest’s hundreds of trees also soak up excess CO2 that pollutes our atmosphere. Every day, thousands of trees are cut down and it is extremely detrimental to these benefits.
While dying my hair may not be the typical route for helping prevent global warming on Earth Day, I know that even helping a small percentage of the rainforest is beneficial to the health of our planet. People did stare at my very purple hair as I walked through downtown the day I dyed it, it was all worth it to save the planet, and I ended up feeling very empowered walking down those streets.
Even though this campaign is over, you can still change your lifestyle in a dramatic way to go green that may empower you as well. Try these tips to go green today, and don’t forget to use hair dye without harmful chemicals.
