Some may have heard of Earth Day, but do they know its true importance?

Earth Day began in 1970, after Sen. Gaylord Nelson thought of the idea. He wanted to put the environment into the political “limelight,” and, after pitching the idea to President Kennedy, they campaigned it. In September 1969, Nelson announced at a conference in Seattle that there would be a nationwide grassroots demonstration for the environment. Earth Day has since occurred every year and helped create the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Act, and the Clean Water Act.

The truth is, one day is not enough for people to think about Earth. Do you realize that one-third of the waterways in the United States are too polluted to fish or swim in? Or how only 5 percent of the old growth forests in our country still exist?

There are many things you can do daily so that Earth Day can be more of a celebration of the great planet that we live on – versus a day where we have to beg people to recycle or car-pool. Is it really that hard to put aluminum cans in a bag and take them down to a grocery store? No. You can make some extra cash and in the process you would be doing a small part to help save the environment.

You can also buy more recycled paper products or, better yet, recycle the paper you nonchalantly throw into the trashcan. Everyday Americans throw away an average of 4.4 pounds of trash. Think of how many pounds of trash you could save if you actually recycled.

There are a few events coming up to help enhance Earth Day this year. Today from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. there will be an Earth Day Fair in front of Cosmetology and the Bookstore. There will also be a Community Clean Up on Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. at Stark and Troutdale.

The point is, people, let’s just take this great planet that we live on a little more seriously. Earth Day should be something that you should think about everyday, not just once a year.