How do you plan to celebrate Earth Day this year? This this special day fast approaching (April 22, FYI), there's no better time than now to plan out your activities. Earth Day is focused on achieving one primary goal: to draw more attention to the importance of environmental safety and preservation. With that in mind, here are some simple ways to celebrate Earth Day.

Talk a Selfie

No, this isn't a typo. You can celebrate Earth Day 2014 by taking a photo of yourself, known as a selfie, and publishing it to your social media account using the appropriate hashtags. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently published an open request, asking people from around the world to take a selfie on Earth Day so they can create a mosaic image of Earth.

Plant a Tree

"On Earth Day, NASA will monitor photos posted to Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Google+ and Flickr. Photos posted to Twitter, Instagram or Google+ using the hashtag #GlobalSelfie, or to the #GlobalSelfie Facebook event page and the #GlobalSelfie Flickr group will be used to create a crowd-sourced mosaic image of Earth – a new 'Blue Marble' built bit-by-bit with #GlobalSelfie photos," said NASA officials in a press release.

Go Dark

If you really want to make a difference this Earth Day, you should turn off the lights and unplug unused electronics for at least a portion of the day. Some people assume their actions are too small to make a difference, but the fact is that we can all make a difference by doing our part. Turning off the lights -- even if it's just for a couple of hours -- is one step towards a cleaner environment with fewer carbon emissions.

Plant a Tree

Of course, another way to celebrate Earth Day is by planting a tree in your garden or yard. Trees are not only beautiful additions to a home's exterior, but they also encourage a cleaner environment by absorbing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, in addition to releasing fresh oxygen back into the atmosphere. Planting just a couple of trees inside around your home can make a small but noticeable difference in the air quality.

Other Ways To Celebrate Earth Day 2014:

• Carpool to and from work.
• Upgrade your major home appliances to energy-efficient models.
• Replace old incandescent light bulbs with either CFL or LED bulbs.
• Recycle aluminum cans, cardboard, plastic or other materials.
• Create a compost bin to reuse vegetable and fruit scraps as plant food.
• Add more insulation to your home.