Why Earth Day Is So Important

This year’s Earth Day was on Monday, April 22. The point of Earth Day is to show support for environmental protection and raise awareness for the Earth by reflecting on the problems that it’s facing. Having first been celebrated in 1970, it is now celebrated annually and worldwide. The 2019 Earth Day theme was “Protect our Species”.

Earth Day is important because it helps raise awareness for our dying earth. We teenagers are the next generation to inhabit Earth, therefore we have the power to continue hurting it, or we can do everything we can to help it. We should try to make it a better place than when we got here. If we don’t do something now, our children’s planet will be an unlivable planet.

I don't know why our environment and the struggles we’re facing are not talked about more. Perhaps because some people are scared to admit what is really happening. However, by  ignoring the problem, we are making it worse. People might also choose not to talk about the issues the environment is facing because they don’t understand how bad the problems are or are unaware of them. If you don’t feel like it’s a problem, or if you are just ignoring it, I strongly encourage you to research issues such as air quality, ocean plastic, and the greenhouse effect. It’s terrifying, but it is something we must think more about.

There are many things you can do to help the earth. There are countless things we are told on a daily basis about helping the earth, such as turning off the lights when you’re not using them, not using plastic straws, turning the water off when your brushing your teeth, and recycling. However, there are also so many other ways to help. One way is to raise awareness about the issues and what you are doing to help stop them. Post about it on social media, show your followers and friends what you are doing today to help the planet. Even when it is not Earth Day, remember to think about what you can do to help save the planet. Do whatever you need to do to remind yourself. If you need to put a poster up in your bedroom, or you need to set reminders on your phone, do it. Remember to remind your friends about the issues. We are the ones causing the issues, and we are also the only thing that can stop the problem.

Most people post something on their Instagram story on Earth Day and then never think about it again until the next year. Earth Day is only one day, but it should be thought about year round. It should be thought about every time you open up a plastic water bottle, every time you get a plastic straw from Chick-fil-a, and every time you get your groceries in plastic bags. It's an issues that will never go away and the things that we have done to our planet in such a small amount of time are irreversible. The time to take action is now.