April 22, 2023
By Tara Tiyaloglu
Managing Editor
The Earth has been through it all. Between climate change, pollution and the water crisis, it is in desperate need of nurturing. That is why today, Earth Day, is so important.
In the spring of 1970, Sen. Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin created Earth Day, which is celebrated annually on April 22, to honor the achievements of the environmental movement and raise awareness of the need to protect Earth’s natural resources for future generations.
We have too many problems occurring with biodiversity loss, deforestation, the greenhouse effect, illegal wildlife trade and oil and gas drilling.
Earth Day is beneficial because it encourages people to take action to protect the environment. We have too many problems occurring with biodiversity loss, deforestation, the greenhouse effect, illegal wildlife trade and oil and gas drilling. If people do not care about their environmental footprint, those problems will only get worse.
Earth Day is a reminder, but it is also a warning. If everyone did at least one thing to help the Earth, such as recycling or saving energy, it would help tremendously. Additional ways you can help the Earth are conserving water, purchasing organic products and using reusable containers and caps. You can also donate to and organize fundraising events to support organizations like Conservation International, Natural Resources Defense Council and Rainforest Alliance.
An outstanding advocate for the environment is Greta Thunberg, a 20-year-old Swedish activist. When she was 15 years old, she skipped school to protest outside parliament for more action against climate change. For someone who is so young, she changed a lot of people’s perspectives and became a role model. She was TIME magazine’s youngest person of the year, was nominated twice for the Nobel Peace Prize and founded Fridays for Future, a youth-led and youth-organized movement.
Some might brush off environmental issues, but they get more severe by the minute. For example, high temperatures due to global warming cause droughts, floods, heat waves and storms. Earth is fragile and can only take so much damage. That is why all people need to step up, today and every day, to save the planet.
