by Ashley DeVita
April 22, 1970 was the first day citizens started to celebrate Earth Day. This date was chosen because it falls on a day that students are on Spring break. It’s estimated that 20 million people nationwide attended the inaugural events at tens of thousands of sites including elementary and secondary schools, universities, and community sites across the United States on that first Earth day celebration. People take part in helping out the environment on this day by doing good deeds such as picking up litter,conserving energy, limiting water usage, and planting trees – all in the name of making our world a healthier and better place to live. Preserving our planet’s environment now is critical for making sure that the Earth will still hold up for future generations. By 1990, Earth Day was globally recognized as being an important day and was celebrated by more than 140 countries around the world.
Earth Day is significant because its purpose is to remind people the true effect that climate change has on our world. We are responsible for taking care of our planet and its future. Earth day is meant to spread awareness about the harm that humans cause the Earth. Many people don’t acknowledge the negative effects climate change has on our planet. This is a day to reflect and help out. Negative effects include an increase in frequent and intense droughts, storms, heat waves, rising sea levels, melting glaciers and warming oceans. These changes can directly harm animals, destroy the places they live, and cause a significant change in people’s lives and communities.