April 22 was not only Spear’s birthday, but it was also Earth Day. Earth Day is a day for recognizing all of the amazing gifts Earth gives us. Our planet is a habitat for over 7 billion people, 8.7 billion species of animals, and 391,000 species of plants. Earth also provides food, water, medicine, and weather cycles. Since the Earth is so important to so many forms of life, our society needs to do our part in keeping it clean and healthy. Unfortunately, our planet isn’t thriving as much as it could be.
Climate change and pollution are becoming more common threats to our planet. The earth’s surface temperature has risen 2.2 degrees Fahrenheit since the late 19th century. This warms the oceans, which in turn harms coral reefs and melts ice in the arctic. With the melting ice, new diseases can and will arise due to certain bacteria being trapped in the ice. Pollution in our oceans and cities also has a huge impact on our planet’s health. In total, there are 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic currently in the ocean. These numbers add up to a whopping 269,000 tons of plastic waste in the ocean. The disgusting amount of waste kills sea animals and plants. Pollution in cities, such as litter and smog, contribute to the health of its residents. Many people with respiratory illnesses cannot breathe properly without clean air, and the litter in these cities not only harms the visual aspect but also will eventually end up in a landfill or the ocean.
If we don’t start doing something now, scientists say we only have 11 years before the effects of climate change become irreversible. Change is needed now, and it’s not as hard as you may think.
Saving Earth begins with you. Small contributions that you make will make a huge difference overall. Cutting down on what you throw away is a great start to keeping the earth sustainable for longer. Reduce, reuse, and recycle is something that you’ve heard throughout the years. Now is the time to start taking action. Planting trees, taking part in volunteer clean up activities, and reducing your use of single use plastics can also make a huge difference in the Earth’s health. Senior Nick Hardman says, “Picking up a piece of litter a day keeps the cute animals from going away.”
Earth is the only planet we have, and we should be treating it with kindness. With everything Earth provides for us, it is the least we can do. Taking action, whether it’s small or big, will help everyone out in the long run, but most importantly it will save our planet and all of the species inhabiting it.