Earth Day is just around the corner so it’s a good time to start thinking about how, as individuals, we can support the health of our environment. On Friday, April 22 you might start seeing people out and about cleaning up roads and ditches, buying flowers and trees to plant, or (if the weather allows) walking to work or school.
Founded in 1970, Earth Day was started as an initiative to educate people about environmental issues. The idea is to inform people they do have an impact on the environment, and that pollution is in fact an issue we need to not only be aware of, but also try to limit as much as we can.
Since it’s first year of being founded, movements and acts have been put into place, like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. These programs have helped to ensure we have clean drinking water, the critters of our world are protected and so much more.
The awareness we have witnessed since the start of Earth Day has helped people understand there is no such thing as a small change. We now know something as simple as recycling can drastically reduce a person’s carbon footprint.
The amount of people who participate in Earth Day has grown exponentially throughout the years. We are becoming more and more aware of the effect our human consumption has on our planet, and it is with this knowledge we can provide a safe environment for future generations.
A few things you can do to participate in Earth Day this year are the following: share a ride to work, or if it’s feasible bike or walk; take a moment to walk through your neighborhood with a garbage bag and do some clean up; plant some vegetables indoors in preparation for your summer garden; if you haven’t already, start recycling, teach your kids or grandkids about Earth Day and the importance of keeping our planet clean; use reusable bags for shopping; make your own compost bin; install energy efficient lighting; and the list goes on and on.
The bottom line is no one likes to see garbage built up in the streets or our air filled with smog. We can see for ourselves what neglecting our environment does. All it takes is one little act to make a very big difference. Is that really too much to ask?