Preparing for Earth Day

April 22, 2015 is Earth Day. If you plan to participate, it’s time to start planning what you are going to do to join this global celebration and information awareness day.

Earth Day has been celebrated for 45 years. Communities band together to teach and engage in activities that advocate sustainability and health for our planet. 192 countries currently engage in Earth Day activities, with over one billion participants. When it began in 1970, it was a year of hippies and the Vietnam War. Huge cars were using excessive amounts of gas. Air pollution wasn’t at the top of the list of concerns. A U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson, was inspired by both the anti-war movement and an enormous oil spill in Santa Barbara. He decided to present the American public with ideas they may not have considered: sustainability, toxic dumps, extinction of wildlife, and preservation of the Earth. His idea paid off. On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans across the country rallied against the factories and businesses that were creating a toxic environment. The event has become an annual reminder of the need for attention to the needs of our planet.

This year’s theme is: It’s Our Turn to Lead. The Earth Day Network is asking people to put more money into clean energy solutions. We need to push our political leaders to pass the climate change treaty in Paris this year. Countries need to commit to sustainability and decreasing carbon use. It will only work if it is a global commitment.

What can you do if you can’t give money? There are plenty of ways to help. Online petitions and writing letters to local and regional governors asking them to support the Paris Climate Treaty will let them know what their constituents want. Organize a planting event in your neighborhood. Approach local businesses or the library to assist you in creating an environmental awareness event. Lead a recycling effort. Organize an eco-friendly event at a local school, planting new trees or shrubs. Gather a group to pick up litter.

If you can get your event rolling, you can invite the media. This will ensure that your message is spread throughout the area. If you have any notable businesses that make extraordinary efforts to be “green,” invite them to speak at your event.

On April 18, the Earth Day Network, in coordination with the Global Poverty Project will host an event at the National Mall in Washington D.C. from 12:00-7:00 P.M. Bring your signs, flags, cameras, and whatever else you can think of to join in and spread the message.

Various toolkits for spreading the word are available on Earthday.org. Remember, you don’t have to organize an event or even attend one to help. Plant a tree, teach your kids about climate change, bike instead of drive, every little bit counts.

Kids can bring the message to school and encourage their friends to recycle. A local high school’s Environment Club once went into every classroom to collect paper that had been thrown out in the trash for a month. They made an exhibit in the school lobby. This was a fantastic way to call attention to the mountain of paper that could have been recycled.

Everyone can help. Do your part for Earth Day every day.