Earth Day: The Reason Behind the Day

Earth Day,  April 22, has been around since Gaylord Nelson, a former U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, believed a day was needed at least once a year to focus back on the planet and the environment, which is so often taken for granted. This realization happened  after the massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California, 1969.
“It’s a good day to remember how important the earth is and how we need to keep it clean,” Elisha Makerall ‘18 said.
Doing small eco-friendly things–like riding a bike instead of taking a car or planting a tree–all do eventually add up. It was Nelson’s idea to inspire people to do things every day of the year. Earth Day is bigger than just one day.
“I think it’s very important that we as human beings remember to take care of Earth. Throughout the year we forget this Earth and its resources are a gift and take it for granted. It’s nice once a year to have a reason to give back and get involved,” Lemon Marin ‘18 said.
It is true that each individual contributes to make a difference, but only doing something one day a year will not make a change. It takes doing something every day to make a change.
“Earth day is a day in which Americans look at their thumb and realize it should be more green, they do this purely because they are told to, not because they care, the idea behind a single earth day is dumb, every day should be earth day, but unfortunately, humans don’t tend to think that far ahead,” Robert Hunt ‘17 said.
Earth Day is meant to spark a change in people to lead to a brighter future on this planet, bring focus back to the earth for one day can ignite a change in people.
There are easy, simple changes one can make to help the earth. Even small things like only using green and organic cleaning products in and outside of one’s house, using rags instead of paper towels, using cloth napkins instead of disposable ones, using reusable water bottles instead of plastic ones, and making sure to recycle all recyclable materials can add up to help the earth and pollution.