The concept of Earth Day was announced at a conference in Seattle in the fall of 1969 by Senator Gaylord Nelson, a Democrat from Wisconsin. Americans were becoming aware of the effects of pollution on the environment but lacked a forum to express their concerns about what was happening to their land, rivers, lakes and air.
A spontaneous response at the grassroots level started to grow after the first Earth Day, not only in the United States, but in the rest of the world. “It organized itself,” claimed Senator Nelson. “Today the Earth Day Network (EDN) collaborates with more than 17,000 partners and organizations in 174 countries … more than 1 billion people are involved in Earth Day activities.”
Earth day should be celebrated every day in every aspect of our lives! It should be honored in the way we live, eat and sleep. Our consciousness in saving the environment, in protecting our eco-system, in behaving with awareness and responsibility is essential. Every single person has a responsibility in protecting our environment. We can, and should, become environmentally conscious by changing our daily behaviors at every level … as individuals, with our family, for our community, and towards the entire world. Remember, we “borrow” our planet, later to return it to the next generation for their enjoyment.
Below are ten simple suggestions you can do to help protect the Earth:
(US Government, Ocean Service, NOAA)
- Reduce, reuse, and recycle … cut down on what you throw away. You will help conserve
natural resources and landfill space. - Volunteer … for cleanups in your community.
- Educate … yourself so you can help others understand the importance of our natural resources.
- Conserve water … so less runoff and wastewater will end up in the ocean.
- Choose sustainable … make smart seafood decisions.
- Shop wisely … buy less plastic, use reusable shopping bags and containers.
- Use long-lasting light bulbs … energy efficient light bulbs reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Turn off the lights when you leave a room.
- Plant a tree … and help save energy, clean the air, and combat climate change.
- Don’t send chemicals into our waterways … choose non-toxic chemicals.
- Bike more … drive less.
Let’s challenge ourselves and each other to become more aware of our environment and live up to our responsibilities. Happy Earth Day everyday!