Earth Day

April 22^nd is known as Earth Day. I celebrate Earth Day by making sure I turn off the lights I am not using, not letting the water run as I brush my teeth, and making as little trash as possible. But, what more can I do to properly celebrate Earth Day? As I looked into this question, I found a grand history and meaning behind this day. Earth Day was originally founded in 1970 as a day to promote education on environmental issues. Now, many schools have extended this educational holiday to celebrate Earth Week, an entire week dedicated to learning, understanding, and practicing ways to eliminate environmental issues. With a focus on students, April 22^nd was chosen specifically to reach out to students and allow them, and other participants, to get outside and truly enjoy the Earth on its’ very own day.

Earth Day was founded after the inspiration of Senator Gaylord Nelson, who was determined to express the environmental risk of the planet to the government and the nation in 1962. His idea for creating an Earth Day came from his experience in viewing “teach-ins” where anti-Vietnam spokesmen came into classrooms to spread information and educate students about the issue. In 1969 Senator Nelson invited the world to celebrate Earth Day at a conference in Seattle and the people were excited about his proposition. On April 22^nd, supporters of Earth Day and environmental issue education rallied in all major cities in the nation. They made an impact on others and truly revealed the need to understand environmental issues. Now, 200 million people celebrate Earth Day, in one way or another, around the globe.

Some people celebrate by attending information sessions on environmental issues, signing up for cleaning projects or even refusing to use their car on the day. But, no matter how you decide to celebrate the day, the most important part of Earth Day is to become educated on environmental issues. The day was founded based on the need to inform and share environmental concerns with everyone so we can protect ourselves and our planet. So, get informed, spread the word, and enjoy our great planet on this gorgeous Earth Day.

How are you celebrating Earth Day?