by: Stacey Brown

Every year, Earth Day is a holiday dedicated to raising awareness for environmental protection. On April 22nd, millions of individuals around the globe are united in the common effort to both celebrate nature and remind society of the progress that is yet to be made. Since we are all inhabitants of this planet, issues such as climate change, species endangerment, and the pollution of our natural world all affect every person. Collectively maintaining a healthy planet is a necessity and is also key to supporting one’s own individual health as well. 

This year, Earth Day will be celebrating its 51st anniversary. The annual event began in 1970, sparked by an emerging awareness of environmental degradation after an oil spill caused devastation on the environment the year prior. Dennis Hayes, a young activist, organized and united different activist groups nationwide to bring about reform. The success of the first Earth Day inspired the event to continue and to this day still engages people from around the world, amassing one billion supporters from 190 countries.

This Earth Day, we can all take steps toward living a greener lifestyle. First, the standard of reduce, reuse, recycle is a great rule for reducing plastic waste. By shifting away from single-use plastics towards more sustainable options, we can all make a positive impact. Additionally, when going outdoors for a walk or any other activity, it is easy to bring a bag and pick up trash. This can not only help keep our community spaces clean, but can help protect wildlife too. Also, even small changes to your diet can be a simple way to improve your carbon footprint. By lessening your meat consumption and opting for plant-based meals, you can help to curb the carbon emissions produced through the livestock industry. Finally, while personal actions are important, Earth Day is equally focused on advocacy and education. 

In simply sharing these tips with your friends and family and reminding them of the importance of Earth Day, the movement can have an even greater impact and further benefit the environment.