Allie Wenskoski, Freshman
Celebrating our Earth has become more than just a formality in the past years. It is now a call to action, something that needs to be done. The reasoning for creation and the new intentions have the same overview, but the underlying facts and motives are quite different. Earth Day is celebrated across the globe every year on April 22nd. First created in 1970 because of all the pollution new production factories were causing, the recent years have had a more pin-pointed focus: plastic. While some people may say that everyday is Earth Day, April 22nd is when people around the world unite to create a more sustainable and brighter future. There is so much more to talk about when regarding environmental protection. Taking action on plastic, pollution, and climate change are too much for one day. Even still, the meaning and purpose of Earth Day has changed every year, celebrating the ‘theme’ or not.
Gaylord Nelson came up with the idea of the first Earth Day after witnessing the 1969 oil spill in California. He used his position as a U.S. Senator to organize events celebrating the Earth across the country. The majority of groups included colleges who protested against the detoxification of the environment. This event united people both rich and poor, and made a big impact on the government. After the first Earth Day, the United States created the United States Environmental Protection Agency and passed Acts on clean air, clean water, and endangered species. While the effectiveness of the 1970 Earth Day was huge, the focus was about smog and pesticides, not any of the pressing issues today. It also created a large movement for recycling which before barely existed. For Nelson’s effort for environmental conservation, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1995. He lived until 2005, seeing 35 Earth Days.
While the big focus back in 1970 was pollution, Earth Day is still relevant and a much needed celebration across the globe. Today’s focus is more on climate change and plastic along with protecting the environment. The human impact on the Earth is more prevalent today because of our new inventions and technology. The Pacific garbage patch, for example, is larger than the state of Texas and affects the homes of thousands of organisms in the sea. In the past year some of the most action against plastic has taken place. The United Kingdom talked about a ban on straws, while major chains like Starbucks have been inventing new lids to decrease straw usage. On the other side of the spectrum, amazing wonders of our world including the Great Barrier Reef are getting destroyed by climate change, which is interlinked with habitat loss.
Since the 49th Earth Day is upon us, the celebration will be goal driven and impactful. There also has been what seems like countless amounts of achievements since the first Earth Day. The EPA has enacted acts to help clean up our Earth and their goals have helped save the eagles, keep drinking water safe, and drop emissions of pollutants by over 60%. New threats threaten our planet, but we have overcome many before. Because of the importance of this holiday, around the world countries celebrate it and recently have expanded it. Instead of just Earth Day, the recent years have included Earth Week, a whole week full of Earth saving events. So next time someone says the cheesy phrase, “Everyday is Earth Day”, realize the importance and unity this global holiday has.
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