Earth Day provides opportunity to protect environment

Saturday, April 22 is Earth Day, an annual opportunity to celebrate the natural world and get involved in short- and long-term efforts to protect the environment.

Earth Day will be celebrated on Saturday, April 22 this year.
The commemoration encourages proper stewardship of
natural resources and protection for the planet.
COURTESY PHOTO

In the decades leading up to the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, Americans were consuming vast amounts of leaded gas through massive and inefficient automobiles. Industry belched out smoke and sludge with little fear of the consequences from either the law or bad press. Air pollution was commonly accepted as the smell of prosperity. Until this point, mainstream America remained largely oblivious to environmental concerns and how a polluted environment threatens human health.

However, the stage was set for change with the publication of Rachel Carson’s New York Times bestseller “Silent Spring” in 1962. The book represented a watershed moment, selling more than 500,000 copies in 24 countries as it raised public awareness and concern for living organisms, the environment and the inextricable links between pollution and public health.

In 1990, Earth Day became a global event and today, Earth Day is widely recognized as the largest secular observance in the world, marked by more than a billion people every year as a day of action to change human behavior and create global, national and local policy changes.

Here are five ways to celebrate this year:

1. Volunteer.

Many neighborhoods and communities around the country host volunteer clean-ups to honor Earth Day. Find one in your area or organize your own: gather some friends or family, some sturdy garbage bags and pairs of work gloves, and head out to a park or the shore of a local waterway for a clean-up.

2. Enjoy nature.

Get outside and enjoy nature. Even if you aren’t an experienced hiker, there are plenty of tools to make getting outdoors easy, such as wearable tech, which can support your outdoors adventure.


3. Plant a tree.

Trees provide shade and food for people and a habitat for birds and other wildlife. What’s more, they produce oxygen for people to inhale, as well as sequester Carbon Dioxide. Trees also reduce polluting runoff by intercepting water. In short, we need trees! Celebrate Earth Day by planting one. Each year, you can watch it mature and grow.

4. Reduce waste.

The land and ocean have become saturated with plastics and other trash. Get into the habit of reducing waste by recycling and reusing items as much as possible. Take a look at the footprint you and your family create with your plastic consumption and find ways to improve your habits. Bring a reusable bag to the grocery store. Buying a drink? Don’t use a straw. Getting takeout? Ask the restaurant to hold the plastic silverware.

5. Update your technologies.

Outdated tech often contains harmful elements that can hurt the environment, such as lead paint or mercury. Check out newer models that meet international standards and reduce the need to use hazardous materials harmful to the environment. (StatePoint)

This Earth Day, celebrate a healthy planet with environmental stewardship at-home and in your community. (StatePoint) <