Earth Day is an annual event celebrated worldwide on April 22. Its purpose is to raise awareness of environmental factors and encourage people to take action to protect the Earth.
In the early 1960s, Americans were already aware of pollution and its effects on the environment. However, after Rachel Carson’s New York Times Bestseller, “Silent Spring”, was published in 1962, it raised awareness of the harmful effects of pesticides on the environment and human health. In 1969, a fire occurred on Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River that shed light on chemical waste disposal. During this time, no one was trying to protect the Earth’s natural resources, and only a portion of the American population was even familiar with recycling.
Senator Gaylord Nelson, a Democrat from Wisconsin, was concerned about the environment worsening and was determined to convince the federal government that the planet was at risk and that it needed to take action. Inspired by the anti-Vietnam War student movement, he developed the idea of creating Earth Day. He called upon students to fight the environmental issues and tried to infuse the energy with the same energy the students had about the Vietnam War. The first Earth Day was then celebrated on April 22, 1970, when an estimated 20 million nationwide participated in various activities.
Ever since then, the Earth Day celebration has grown to have over 17,000 partners, and over one billion people have participated in Earth Day. However, not enough people participate in Earth Day. You can protect the earth by reducing, reusing and recycling to conserve the earth’s natural resources and landfill space. Conserve water and shop wisely to have less runoff and wastewater that will eventually end up in the ocean, and bring a reusable shopping bag to buy less plastic. Use long-lasting light bulbs and plant a tree to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, help save energy and help combat climate change.
Only together can we fight climate change and save the planet. Do your part to help save the only home we have. If we fight this together, we can save the Earth before it’s too late.
