Did you know that more than 27,000 trees are cut down each day? Or that 78% of marine animals are at risk of choking on plastic? All of this is caused by the lack of amount of people willing to take care of our planet. This is why Earth Day was invented. On April 22nd, people from all over the world come together to help make the world a better place.  Using just a day every year to clean up is so beneficial because it makes the world a happier and healthier place to live. 

Earth Day wasn’t a holiday until 1970. People everywhere started to become more aware of the harm that humans have caused to the environment. They started understanding what air and plastic pollution was doing to our environment. After taking all of this into consideration, Senator Gaylord Nelson decided to create Earth Day as a way to force this problem upon people all over the nation. 

We can make a difference in our world, one day at a time. One simple activity that people anywhere can do is pick up any visible litter. Waste is plentiful and can be seen everywhere. This can be cans, bags, bottles, the list goes on. Although this seems small, this is one step people can take to make our planet a better place to live. According to The United Nations Environmental Program, “Every piece of trash that is taken away to be recycled or deposited in a landfill means there is one less dangerous item for birds, turtles or whales to swallow,” says UN. 

Mrs. Fiero teaches an environmental science class for any student who is interested in learning more about the environment. On earth day, this class is planning on picking up trash around Concord. Junior Tyson Walker explains more about what the environmental science class includes. “In the Environmental Science class, we do projects about various subjects, mainly how the earth works. There have been projects about earth energy systems and energy flow, which both relate back to the environment. I have also done a project doing research on hydrogen power relating to modern renewable energy solutions that are better for the planet. Mrs. Fiero has said that she has class activities planned for us on Earth Day, as for myself I plan on riding my bike down the Falling Waters trail or perhaps going fishing in Hanover,” says Walker. 

Another way to make our earth cleaner is by planting trees. Trees do so much to filter the air we breathe. According to the city of Bowling Green, Kentucky, trees give off oxygen that we need to survive, and without them, our earth would be completely different than how we know it. They also reduce erosion, which can cause extra pollution in waterways. A more obvious benefit of trees is that they provide shelter for many different species of animals. This includes birds, primates, and many other mammals. Did you know that trees also serve as a natural air filter? Trees filter out harmful dust, carbon monoxide, and ozone from the air humans breathe. 

A different long-lasting change one can make in their daily life is switching out single-use plastic for reusable items. For example, when shopping, bring reusable bags instead of using the stores’ provided plastic ones. Now try and picture how many straws one person uses in a year. It’s a lot, right? Wasting this much single-use plastic is one of the most harmful things one can do for the planet. An alternative would be using a metal or silicone straw, or just not using one at all. This creates less plastic, even in our own town. There are eco-friendly alternatives for almost every product. Companies have created eco-friendly toothbrushes, toothpaste, sponges, silverware, water bottles, and the list goes on. Making these changes will even save money in the long run. So why not make the switch?

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Rylee Sinden

Another earth advocate in our small school is senior Lauren Gray. Many would describe Lauren as caring and considerate, which is easy to see through her daily actions. Gray explains how she tries to make our earth a better place. “I am very passionate about the earth and the environment, and I want to make the environment better through my everyday actions. I think that some people believe that you have to make significant changes to your lifestyle to really make a difference, which is not true. One thing that I did was cut out single-use plastic as much as I could. I use a bamboo toothbrush, I have a reusable water bottle, and I use shampoo and conditioner bars that also come in compostable packaging. An important thing to remember is that you don’t have to live a completely zero-waste lifestyle, but even those small changes can make a difference. I like the motto “make earth day every day,” but on earth day I try to bring more awareness to global warming through social media or just talking about it to get people aware,” says Lauren. 

Most people have gardens in their backyard. One small change is to stop using pesticides in gardens. Having pesticides present can kill bees who keep all the plants alive. It can even kill insects or other plants. If one of these species goes extinct, it would throw off the cycle of our whole environment. 

Always keep in the back of your mind these three things: reduce, reuse and recycle. The three r’s will help make our world a better place. Remember, we only have one earth, treat it right!