Two winters ago my family visited Pokagon State Park in Indiana. In the nature center, a sign hangs that reads: “Our children will inherit the earth, help them learn to love and respect it.”
Seeing those words struck a chord in me. If we continue to live unsustainably, where will we be in 50 years? Our lives have been blessed with beautiful forests, parks, mountains, and rivers. Living in Arkansas, I have experienced so much of the world’s natural beauty. And it breaks my heart to think that these sights may be tainted for my grandchildren. Therefore I hope that enough people in this world will recognize the beauty that surrounds them and will live everyday like it is Earth Day.
Everyday is Earth Day. You probably giggle to yourself when you hear this phrase and think of a tree hugger somewhere in Portland, Oregon who only eats organic food and showers twice a week. If you think that, well, you are most likely right. However, these are not the only people who strive to make the Earth a more beautiful place to live. Unfortunately, the number of people who live as if every day is Earth Day is an incredibly low percentage of the population. The concept of making every day Earth Day has been pushed to the bottom of our global to-do list.
April 22 is the day the world celebrates our beautiful planet. Earth Day is a day devoted to planting trees and reminding the world to support environmental protection. While I am a full supporter of this great holiday, I cannot help but notice that many are viewing as just a holiday. We celebrate it like we would celebrate any other Thanksgiving or Valentines day; we give thanks and spread love but once the day comes to a close, we stop the thanks and put a hold on the giving until the next year. Earth Day is no different. We scream and shout about loving the planet we live on and maybe we even plant a tree or two. However, as the clock strikes midnight, the celebration ends and the enthusiasm fades. People go back to their normal routines and make an environmental effort maybe every three months or so. But one day is not enough!
Everyone can take daily simple steps to make our Earth a more beautiful place. There are a million different things a person can take part in. Here are some simple daily changes you can make to impact our world in a positive way.
A common misconception is that someone else will pick up the litter. Most of the time this thought is proven to be false. If everyone in our world had the mindset of "someone else will get it," we would be swimming in filth. Therefore, let's live by a new motto: “Don’t pass it up, pick it up.” I cannot tell you the number of times I have heard my father speak these words and I am so grateful he has embedded this phrase into my brain. As you're walking down the sidewalk or if you are taking a hike and you happen to pass by a can or a plastic bottle, pick it up and throw it in your bag to dispose of later.
Plastic. It is taking over the world in negative way. I could go on for hours about the negative impact that plastic has on our Earth. However, I'll keep it short. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is an enormous collection of marine waste and debris that has collected in the north Pacific Ocean. This large mass covers about 7.7 million square miles. How can we prevent it from growing? Use less plastic. Purchase a refillable water bottle or coffee tumbler. When you are hanging out at you favorite coffee shop, ask for your drink in a mug instead of a to-go cup. And finally, my personal favorite, use reusable bags! If you're at Walmart and all you purchased was a can of baby food and some face paint (you know, the necessities in life) you can easily walk out of the store with it in your hand or in a reusable bag.
If you love where you live and want your children and their children to be able to experience the beautiful gift of nature we received, then consider these small steps that can be taken to make everyday Earth Day.
