For many, Earth Day is simply a day that comes and goes, but the meaning behind the day is about much more than just planting a few trees. The day represents a future for generations to come and keeping the environment we all occupy healthy and sustainable.
Earth Day is always held on April 22, no matter the year, no matter the country, and is marked by leaders, citizens, organizations, companies, and agencies coming together to celebrate the planet earth. Events are usually held worldwide in support of environmental protection ranging from ceremonies and community service to educational seminars and parties.
To its credit, the day has brought some major change in policy such as the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts.
But Earth Day didn’t just occur on its own.
It was founded in 1970 by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson after the massive Santa Barbara oil spill in 1969 that saw approximately 90,000 barrels of crude oil spill into the Santa Barbara Channel, killing an estimated 3,500 sea birds as well as other marine animals like dolphins, seals and sea lions.
You can learn more about the history of Earth Day here.
Numerous organizations around the country hold large-scale block parties and learning experiences to educate others about the importance of the holiday. But regardless of whether you go to an event or not, anyone can celebrate Earth Day every day by being more aware of his/her environmental footprint and doing anything in their power to limit their impact on the environment. For example, you can try:
- turning off lights and appliances in empty rooms,
- turning off running water,
- recycling and composting, and
- ensuring all your trash ends up in a trash bin
Thank you to all of our staff for helping to do your part to celebrate and protect our environment today and every day.
Live Healthy S.C. 