Every April 22, people around the world gather together to celebrate Earth Day. Many take this day to raise awareness about the environment and explain how everyone can improve the planet.
Dating back to the 1970s, Earth Day was a holiday originally planned by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). UNESCO proposed the day to promote peace and honor the environment that everyone shares. Although largely celebrated in the United States, once the Paris Agreement, an international treaty for climate change was signed during the 2016 Earth Day, all countries involved in the signing have also decided to engage in Earth Day activities.
Similar to other holidays, Earth Day has many activities the community can take part in.
“I go to the parade with my friends and my family,” junior Natalie Bennet said.
Not only are there parades, there are also marathons, and even free admission to nature centers as part of the celebration.
Besides engaging in the community, there are many ways people can celebrate Earth Day without leaving their home.
Junior Aaila Hameed shared her favorite way to show Earth Day spirit.
“I like to…post on my social media platforms to spread awareness about the Earth because I feel like the planet is really important.…I feel like the planet needs to be better looked after,” Hameed said.
However, even just recycling more and watching how much energy and fuel you use and burn can do wonders for the environment and contribute to Earth Day.
As Earth Day comes and goes, the issues within the environment continue. Many students and people around the world don’t realize how much their daily routine can damage the environment. From simply waiting in your running car, or idling, which is still releasing fuel, students contribute to the weakening of the ozone layer, causing more radiation to be absorbed and therefore worsening global warming.
“[Teens] do not realize that the CFCs or chlorofluorocarbons are used as coolants in fridges, AC’s, and even in aerosol cans.These CFCs trap heat 10,000 times more than carbon dioxide.The CFCs travel into the ozone layer and harm the oxygen pattern. Although the quantity of CFCs is lower than carbon dioxide, CFCs are stronger and more harmful,” freshman Sabina Vahora said.
Earth Day may be a needed holiday in order to bring awareness upfront about the Earth and how to protect it.
“The actions a person performs in a day contribute significantly to climate change. Small things in your schedule such as decreasing the use of aerosol cans, recycling, and riding the bus can change life for future generations. Our ancestors made mistakes that caused global warming, yet, it is our responsibility as coming of age teenagers to change the environment for the better,” Vahora said.
Although Earth Day is often looked over, many believe that it is essential to celebrate the planet and share what humans can do to protect the planet every day of the year.