There’s no mistaking that the efforts for improving our world from an environmental safety standpoint have gained attention over the years. This amped up movement has taken issues by storm, especially on Earth Day. There are many amazing facts about Earth Day and what it stands for. In this section, information is based on points from earthday.org. Their website teaches that the first Earth Day was on April 22, 1970, and that currently one billion people take action on this day to improve environmental health.
In the 1960s, new literature pointed to the idea that there are living organisms in our water and encouraged more education about our surroundings. In 1970, Senator Nelson from Wisconsin pitched the idea of teaching more information at colleges to improve understanding of the environment and our role. This encouraged multiple organizations to lean into the idea and Earth Day was born. There were around 20 million participants the first year.
In 1990, a continued need was noted, and the effort was moved to a global stage (That year, 200 million people participated from 141 countries). According to earthday.org, it has become the “largest secular observance in the world.” Earth Day goes beyond politics and division, and it unites individuals, countries, and leaders for a much bigger and more important cause. The movement on April 22, 1970, led to the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. It also was the reason behind the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency.
These steps have been the launching point for many continued efforts and optimism about changing environmental health.
In This Article
Why It’s Important to Focus on Environmental Health
The earth is full of ecosystems and living creatures that contribute to our well-being. Disrupting this cycle, even the smallest amount, can be detrimental to them, and to us. It’s important to sustain and protect, and these points need continuous attention. Air, food, and water come from the environment and are consistent needs in life.
It’s obvious that we only have one Earth. But as the population continues to grow, efforts are not always present to protect and replace our resources. It is estimated that over 3 billion children worldwide lack environmental literacy or the understanding of the world around them. While Earth Day is important, and creates a huge movement, it shouldn’t be the only time we focus on protection, prevention, and recycling for our environment.
April 22nd inspires a wave of action simultaneously across the world but should continue well beyond this day. Education is an important part of continued successful steps with increased awareness and care about our surroundings. It creates great leaders and influencers to make needed changes.
With a little effort, it’s easy to find ways to get involved. Later, we’ll look at a list with multiple points you can use to contribute to steps for improving your role in environmental health.
Issues from Overlooking Environmental Health
Just as we’ve talked about the importance of taking care of Earth, it’s necessary to know the detriment that can come from lack of attention to it. Some of the points most known to accompany overlooking environmental issues are pollution (including air, water, and noise), species becoming extinct, destruction of habitats and ecosystems, and depletion of our resources.
A closer look at pollution shows that it can cause many health issues and creates challenges to keeping fit. Some of these are damage to the kidneys, nerves, brain, liver, lung cancer, heart disease, and even respiratory issues. Some doctors and scientists even suspect air pollution as a culprit for congenital problems in children. Overall, pollution is known to decrease whole health.
These areas are only a few affected by the lack of care for Earth and its resources. This is not a complete list of environmental situations that are involved. There are many more concerns to include regarding the changes happening to Earth’s land and atmosphere. It’s important for us to pitch in and do our part.
How to Take Steps for Environmental Health
Understanding the “why” to recognizing your role in environmental health is one of the greatest encouragers. We’ll look at several ways to make a change, but first, let’s see how we can get started and keep going to maximize your efforts.
Pick a Few
The list we’ll focus on in this article is filled with only a portion of the ways you can help the environment. Don’t bite off more than you can chew but pick a few ways to begin making a difference. If you don’t see one you like on our list, spend a little time researching. As we’ve shown, the important point is to take steps.
Get in the Habit
Habits take time to form. Usually around 3 weeks. So, if you choose a few ways to begin changing and don’t succeed at first, keep trying. It makes a difference to have an intentional mindset during this effort and helps you build resilience.
Switch it Up
You should never be bored when giving attention to the environment. There is plenty to focus on and you can add or change your efforts regularly. If one point seems to be challenging or too much to handle, don’t give up. Also, once you’ve mastered an idea, take on another one. This can increase efforts across the board.
Volunteer Your Time
Once you come up with a few of your favorites, keep at it. But also consider spending time volunteering for a great environmental cause outside your own personal efforts. This helps you learn more, and there’s always a need for hands and feet. Plus, it helps hold us accountable and meet others interested in the same great cause.
27 Ways to Increase Your Role in Environmental Change
Let’s look at a list of ways to get involved. Remember the steps to successful participation and change. Have fun choosing, then get going!
1. Protect by Conservation
2. Recycle/Reuse
3. Shop Thrift
4. Choose Reusable Grocery Bags vs. Plastic
5. Carpool Every Chance You Get
6. Don’t Use Chemical Cleaners
7. Be Mindful How Much You Throw Away
8. Dispose of Batteries, Ink Cartridges, and Florescent Lights Correctly
9. Turn Off the Water
10. Turn Off the Lights
11. Use LED Bulbs
12. Service Older Cars for Emissions
13. Turn Your Home Green
14. Weatherproof Your Home
15. Eat Natural and Local Foods
16. Reduce Your Paper Printing
17. Stop Using Styrofoam
18. Reduce Food Waste
19. Plant a Tree
20. Only Buy What You Need
21. Buy Sustainable Products/Containers
22. Walk Wherever You Can
23. Make Less Trips When You’re Out and About
24. Don’t Litter and Pick Up Trash
25. Plant a Garden
26. Compost Your Food Scraps
27. Dispose of Prescription Drugs Properly
Final Thoughts About Your Role in Environmental Health
We took a closer look at Earth Day and points to know about its history and efforts. With such amazing things taking place around our world, we all should make a choice to lean into environmental health. In addition, you’re doing yourself and other generations a favor by focusing on greater health and safety.
The list included shows some ideas to increase this effort, but there are many more you can address. It’s important to do something though. Try to increase attention in your immediate vicinity and begin with improving healthy aspects there first. Once you realize how awesome it feels to be making a difference, you’ll likely want to expand your reach.
*Earth Day facts are from earthday.org.