As Earth Day approaches on April 22, people across the globe are reflecting on how small changes in their daily lives can help protect the planet for the future. For many, Earth Day is a personal reminder of their connection with the planet and the responsibility they feel to protect it.
“To me personally, Earth Day is a day to really think about the Earth and the issues we as civilians can do to protect it. I feel like sometimes we can forget the purpose of our planet, and this is a day in which we can do that,” freshman Kaylee Roberts said.
Earth Day could be an ordinary day in people’s lives. However, it is an important celebration in response to environmental concerns, and people give it their all to spread awareness about our planet.
“I think people started celebrating this day because we have such a beautiful planet, and it’s important that we shelter it from any harm it’s exposed to,” freshman Avery Lewis said.
Young people have a vital stake in the future of the planet. By caring about issues now and letting their voices be heard, they make meaningful changes to help the ecosystem and much more. To help them navigate these real-life issues, teachers such as Dr. Haley Mehta encourage students to learn about the environment and ways to protect it.
“This is our only home, and for all we know, the only ‘home’ to anything in the universe. How arrogant [is it] for us to assume that we can take whatever we want without repercussions? We need to learn how interconnected all of Earth’s systems are and that we are bound up in all of it,” Dr. Mehta said.
Students can individually make changes to their own lives and advocate for others to do the same. The youth is demonstrating the importance of caring for our environment and making our planet a better place.
“It’s important for others to know the benefits of not littering. That would be my advice. If we don’t litter, we won’t make our planet a piece of trash…We will make it a wonderful place for us to live in,” Roberts said.
