Investing in Earth Day

Earth Day is one of those holidays that you always hear about, and probably celebrated in elementary school, but haven't thought too much about since. Earth Day is celebrated annually on April 22 and is an entire day dedicated to celebrating the diversity and beauty of our planet. 

The first Earth Day was in 1970, and was sparked by society’s heightened use of leaded gas. For so long Americans didn’t understand the consequences that came along with pollution, for both health and environmental reasons. This was even a time in our country where pollution meant a prosperous society, which made it acceptable. 

Rachel Carson’s book titled “Silent Spring” was one of the biggest factors in the birth of Earth Day. This book highlighted the environmental effects of chemicals. Another major catalyst was the fire on the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland. These events paired with Senator Gaylord Nelson’s backing started the change. 

Although the holiday began as an American tactic to combat environmental concerns, the idea of Earth Day eventually grew. There’s now 193 countries that are in some way engaged, as well as one billion individuals making a difference. 

Earth Day resulted in major impacts in a short time after it began. The Clean Air Act, Water Quality Improvement Act, Endangered Species Act and Toxic Substances Control Act, are just a few of the ways this day impacted our lives in a governmental way to take steps towards a cleaner world.

The theme for 2022 Earth Day is Invest In Our Planet. It’s common to hear the words preached that “we only have one Earth” yet people aren’t taking action. It’s time to collectively educate ourselves this Earth Day about ways we can invest in our planet and invest in ourselves. 

By logging onto Earthday.org you can view all of the different options to take action. There are also so many simple ways to make a difference on your own as well though. Buying reusable bags or drinking from a reusable water bottle are both such simple practices, yet truly benefit our environment and planet. 

Sustainable fashion is a topic that speaks particularly to the demographic of college students. The past year or so there’s been such a large push to shop sustainably and ethically. The fashion industry, and fast fashion specifically, are responsible for over 8% of total greenhouse gasses. Our generation has the opportunity to shift the fashion industry towards more ecologically and socially responsible brands.