By Annika Blackburn
What do you think when you hear the words, Earth Day? Do you think about Climate Change? Or, perhaps the new fitness craze, “plogging”? Climate Change is the process of more carbon dioxide getting into the earth’s atmosphere, it generally occurs because of all the pollution that humans create. The term “pollution” can range from oil spills to engine exhaust to someone littering in the park.
Climate change usually causes the world to heat up, but it also can create unusual storms and other odd weather patterns. “Plogging” is something that everyday citizens do to help out the planet, it may be only a small act of kindness, but it makes a big difference. “Plogging” is jogging and picking up trash at the same time, it is an important step that gets us closer to our goal of a cleaner Earth.
Climate Change and “plogging” both have to do with an important day that comes annually on April 22 – Earth Day. Even though we are supposed to take care of the planet every single day, it is very important to give the planet a little extra recognition on this day. We celebrate the Earth so that we don’t forget how important it is and that we need to address important issues such as Climate Change.
Earth Day is celebrated internationally so it is a day for the entire world to come together and to address these problems as one big community. You don’t have to anything that big though, there are many things that you can do in your own home, if we all do something little then we could make a big difference.
Earth Day originated in the year 1970 and originally referred to as “Mother Earth Day” It was founded by a man named Gaylord Nelson, a Senator from Wisconsin. He believed that the Earth and Climate Change were not recognized enough in the media or in politics. He also thought that Earth Day should take place because a big oil spill had just taken place in Barbara, California, a great deal of wildlife had been destroyed. If Nelson never founded Earth Day than our planet would probably be in worse shape today.
Earth Day is both a reminder and a warning to take care of the world, because the world doesn’t last forever. It also reminds people that is your not part of the solution, then you are a part of the problem.
Even though you are supposed to take care of the planet every day, there are some extra special things that you can do to show your support, specifically on Earth Day. You could do things like planting flowers and trees that will remind you love nature, they will also benefit the Earth’s atmosphere at the same time. You could also ride a bike or take the bus to places, you can show your support while you cut down on engine exhaust.
Making posters and participating in a local Environmental Rally would also be nice idea. Attending events with other people about Earth Day makes you feel like you are not the only one, other people also care about the planet and they are going to help you make the world a much better place. Even though you are supposed to take care of the world every day, doing these special activities help to remind both the community and yourself how important the Earth really is.
There are many things that you can do to help support the Earth everyday such as, cutting down on how much garbage that you create, recycling everything that you can, going “plogging” or just pick up other people’s litter, taking shorter showers, using public transportation, and just something as basic as turning off the lights when you leave a room. Creating less waste is really important because our landfills are already taking up too much space and polluting our planet, recycling and reusing things has the same effect. “Plogging” helps to not only make our world a cleaner place, but certain types of litter can harm, or even kill helpless animals.
It is also important to conserve water because, transporting water from place to place takes up a lot of energy that can be put to other uses, such as helping to save the environment, the same thing for turning off the lights when you leave a room. Using public transportation such as a bus instead of your own individual car means less engine exhaust entering the environment.
For example, if fifty people decide to take the bus instead of each driving to work in their own car, then only one engine is emitting fossil fuels instead of fifty. Doing all of these little things may not seem like a lot, but if every single person did at least one of these things every day, then the world would be a much better place. If everyone does their individual part then we can all change the world together, one small step at a time.
In conclusion, we humans are the ones who hurt the planet, so we have to do our part to make it right again. You are always supposed to leave a place better than how you found it. It is important to save the planet by everyone doing their part, but it is important for people to elect leaders and politicians who believe in Climate Change, and will do everything in their power to help the world fix it. Sometimes we even need to protest and rally to save the world from greedy corporations and blind politicians, but it is worth it, just like it is worth it to conserve water and use public transportation.
Overall, we need to each do our part to save the planet every day, but it is also important to do extra special things on Earth Day. The Earth needs recognition, we need to remember how its danger and that we need to save it. Gaylord Nelson was right, we need to give the earth more attention in politics and in the media. An injured environment and Climate Change two of the biggest problems in the world right now. Remember, if you are not part of the solution, then you are a part of the problem. That means, even if you personally did not wreck the environment, humanity did, we are all on the same team so we need to fix each other’s mistakes. If each do even a small part every day, then we can make a difference for the Earth that really means something.