Happy Earth Day!

The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970, at the height of hippie culture, the Vietnam War, and industrialization. Earth Day came about as the result of founder Gaylord Nelson's realization that he could capture the energy of anti-war protests, and channel it into creating awareness about pollution and environmental preservation.

As a result of Nelson's efforts, more than 20 million Americans went out on April 22nd to demonstrate for a healthier environment. These demonstrations brought together multiple sectors in society under one overarching desire for a cleaner, healthier world. Republicans and Democrats, urban dwellers and farmers, rich and poor, all demonstrated together and realized they had more in common than they had thought.

Since 1970, Earth Day has become a world-wide movement to push for environmentally-friendly changes in all countries. Past Earth Days have focused on recycling, climate change, renewable energy, and other related subjects. As a result, we now have the Environmental Protection Agency, the Endangered Species Act, and the Clean Air and Water Act.

While Earth Day might seem to some like a reason for tree-hugging hippies to protest about Big Oil, it is in reality a day that we all should be paying close attention to, and being active on. Like many have said before, this earth is the only home we have, and we need to take care of it by being responsible citizens of the world, and using our resources wisely.

For the farmers of the world, every day is considered Earth Day. Farmers rely upon the earth to grow their crops, and we rely upon farmers to feed us. Farmers must be careful stewards of the land for their own survival, and it is amazing to realize that billions of people rely upon a very small percentage of the population for our daily sustenance. If our farmers were not environmentally conscious, practice sustainable farming, conserve their resources, and use the best technology to improve their output, then the rest of the world would be in very big trouble!

So, take a moment to thank a farmer. You can leave a comment below with your thanks, and know that it will reach the ears of many farmers, who will very much appreciate your acknowledgment of their hard work!

Also, make a list of some ideas that you can implement to help your family be better stewards of this earth. This could be a fun family Earth Day activity if you have children! Here are some ideas to get you started:start recycling, plant a garden, compost your food waste, conserve water by taking shorter showers and running the sprinklers less, buy only the food you know you will use, buy clothes and household items used from the thrift shop, pick up trash at the park, don't buy bottled water, or unplug appliances (toaster, phone charger) when not in use.

Each little action might seem small and unimportant, but taken by many, they do result in big savings to our planet's resources!

 

For more information on Earth Day, visit: http://www.earthday.org/