BRIEF: National Earth Day

Sunset at Deception Pass State Park in Washington. Photograph by Lizzie Williams.

Making the world great again on Sunday, April 22 

“Close to 48 years ago, on April 22 in 1970, millions of people took to the streets to protest the negative impacts of 150 years of industrial development,” said Kathleen Rogers, president of Earth Day Network.

Earth Day has now spread into an annual global event. More than 1 billion people now take part in the largest civic-focused day of action in the world, according to Rogers.

During the day, people march, sign petitions, meet with their elected officials, plant trees and clean up their own towns and roads. It has also become a day where corporations and governments make pledges and announce sustainability measures. Religious leaders like Pope Francis connect Earth Day with protecting God’s creations, humans, biodiversity and the planet that we all live on.

Earth Day Network, the organization that leads this event worldwide, made an announcement for 2018. Earth Day 2018 will focus on mobilizing the world to end plastic pollution and trying to create a global effort to eliminate single-use plastic worldwide.

“Our goals include ending single-use plastics, promoting alternatives to fossil fuel-based materials, promoting 100 percent recycling of plastics, corporate and government accountability and changing human behavior concerning plastics,” said EDN.

EDN also educates millions of people about the health and other risks regards to disposal plastics. This includes polluting our oceans, water and wildlife. They also address evidence that proves decomposing plastics
create a serious global problem.

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