Eath day is almost here. April 22, the day when people are reminded each year how important it is to be aware of how their living habits effect the Earth. Earth Day was first celebrated in on April 22, 1970 . There are many other historic dates and informationabout Earth Day that you can learn about by visiting http://www.epa.gov/earthday/history.htm. This year the EPA encourages people to not only reduce, reuse, and recycle, but also to save energy and use water efficently. The EPA website gives ways to protect the environment through actions at home, at work, at school and other places.
At home the EPA encourages people to: purchase durable or long-lasting goods, use products and packaging that are as free of toxics as possible, and redesign products so that they use less raw materials in production, have a longer life, orso that they may be used again after its original use. Also for at home, the EPA gives ways to recycle at home:
Ways to Reuse
- Using durable coffee mugs.
- Using cloth napkins or towels.
- Refilling bottles.
- Donating old magazines or surplus equipment.
- Reusing boxes.
- Turning empty jars into containers for leftover food.
- Purchasing refillable pens and pencils.
- Participating in a paint collection and reuse program
The following are some of the benefits of recycling according to the EPA:
Benefits of Recycling
- Conserves resources for our children’s future.
- Prevents emissions of many greenhouse gases and water pollutants.
- Saves energy.
- Supplies valuable raw materials to industry.
- Creates jobs.
- Stimulates the development of greener technologies.
- Reduces the need for new landfills and incinerators.
In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, sand sculpturists mingle near their creations that spelled “Keep Keys Green” Saturday, April 8, 2006, at the Cheeca Lodge in Islamorada, Fla. Participants teamed up and paid $250 for the right to form each letter with proceeds benefitting a local treatment and rehabilitation center for indigenous wild birds. The event was the first in a series of Earth Day celebrations set to continue in the Keys through April 22, the date that actually marks Earth Day. (AP Photo/Florida Keys News Bureau, Jim Stephens)
Another way to reduce damage to the Earth at home is through composting. Composting is “The controlled biological decomposition of organic matter, such as food and yard wastes, into humus, a soil-like material. Composting is nature’s way of recycling organic waste into new soil, which can be used in vegetable and flower gardens, landscaping, and many other applications.” When people take care of their lawn, saving their grass clippings and using them as a nutrient for the lawn would be an example of composting. Some of the benefits of composting are:
Benefits of Composting
- Keeps organic wastes out of landfills.
- Provides nutrients to the soil.
- Increases beneficial soil organisms (e.g., worms and centipedes).
- Suppresses certain plant diseases.
- Reduces the need for fertilizers and pesticides.
- Protects soils from erosion.
- Assists pollution remediation.
The EPA is celebrating the Clean School Bus USA initiative on Earth DAy. This organization is to reduce the amount of pollution released by diesel school buses and reduce kids exposure to diesel exhaust. The EPA irges people to become involved with this project at their schools, in hope of created serious change. The EPA also urges people to become aware of the pesticides that are used in their school, learn more and educate others about the environment, and many other things. For a full list visit http://www.epa.gov/earthday/classroom.htm.
The EPA is sponsoring some other Earth Day events this year too. For example, it is teaming up with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and other partners, to encourage morning train riders to recycle their newspapers. The WTMA recycles about 200 tons of newsapapers a month, but their are also more than half of a million people who commute on the transit system a week. This is a very important movement and the volunteers who volunteered to haggle comunters are demonstrating great environmental stewardship.
These are just a few ways to celebrate Earth Day from the EPA, but it is important to remember that we should be conscous of the environment every day and not just on Earth Day.
Sources:
http://www.epa.gov/earthday/history.htm
http://www.epa.gov/earthday/home.htm
