You have probably heard about Earth Day. The one day each year that is set aside to make everyone aware of our footprint on Earth and the environment. But have you ever heard of Senator Gaylord Nelson? How about the 1969 Santa Barbara, California, oil spill? This was the largest oil spill to affect America. Even 54 years later, it is still sitting in the number three position. Thousands of shore birds and sea animals were left dead. Politicians and celebrities went to see how bad things were and made speeches and promises. One of those politicians was Gaylord Nelson. He did not want to just give a speech. He cared, and he wanted to do something about the environment. He wanted to get the world involved and motivated into preserving the environment instead of turning a blind eye to pollution.

Thanks to Senator Gaylord and some friends, the first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, and around 1,000,000 people participated. Over the next ten years many laws were passed to protect the environment. The United States Environmental Protection Agency was formed and not long after that the Endangered Species Act was put in place to help animals. Earth Day was held every ten years until 1990 when it became a yearly holiday and is now celebrated around the world. It is estimated that in 2022, more than one billion people participated in Earth Day activities.

A carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gasses that are generated by the things that we do. The two main gasses that affect the Earth’s atmosphere are carbon cioxide and methane. Everything we do and use affects our carbon footprint — the clothes we wear, our cell phones and video games, the food we eat and the cars we ride in. We can reduce our footprint by making good choices. Reusable items like straws and water bottles are one big step. You can also change all the lightbulbs in your house to LED lights that use less electricity than other types of lightbulbs. Remember to turn lights, video games and the TV off when you leave a room. Walking or riding a bike when you can helps and so does taking public transportation when possible.

Do you want to know something crazy? The food we eat has a major effect on our carbon footprint. Where it is grown, how it is grown, how it’s packaged and transported are all factors. Deforestation in the name of agriculture has a huge impact on the amounts of greenhouse gasses released into the atmosphere. Trees take in carbon dioxide and put out oxygen. If we are cutting down the forests to grow more food, we are contributing to global warming.

There are many ways you can help. Get your family to plant a tree. Plant a garden. Reduce the amount of plastics you use daily. Recycle what you can. Many towns, cities and states have recycling projects. Reuse what you can. Many items can be reused. It’s especially important to recycle electronics. Computers, cell phones, TVs and video games all have parts that can be recycled. Some of the components in the batteries are toxic and should never be put in the trash. Whatever you choose to do to reduce your carbon footprint make it