I asked my grandson Bryce (as you can imagine, I have been spending a lot of time with him, texting, FaceTime, and talking on the phone) what he thinks about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, and he replied that it was terrible. He told me he missed going to school, seeing his teachers, and seeing his friends too.
I asked him how he thinks the Coronavirus is affecting the Earth. He looked at me as though he was really thinking and then said, “Dr. Nana, this Coronavirus is bad for the Earth, and I hope it gets better soon.”
I smiled, gave him a big hug, and said, “I hope it gets better soon too!” It got me thinking about our Earth Day event and how, because of COVID-19, we are postponing our Liberty County Earth Day Celebration.
Did you know that April is the month we celebrate our Earth?
The whole month of April is a great time to explore what we can do to protect the Earth and look for ways to take care of it. Earth Day is April 22, of every year.
Earth Day was a combined response to an environment in crisis, which included oil spills, smog, and rivers so polluted they actually caught fire. On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans, 10 percent of the U.S. population at the time, came together. They took to the streets, college campuses, and hundreds of cities to protest environmental issues and demand a new way of caring for our planet.
The first Earth Day is credited with launching the modern environmental movement. It is now recognized as the planet’s most significant civic event.
The first Earth Day in 1970 launched a wave of action, including the passage of landmark environmental laws in the United States. The Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts were created in response to the first Earth Day in 1970, as well as the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. Many countries soon adopted similar laws.
April 22, 2020, will mark 50 years of celebrating Earth Day. The theme for Earth Day 2020 is climate action. Climate change represents the most considerable task to the future of humankind and the life-support systems that make our world livable. We all have a chance to learn easy ways to change our world with our everyday personal choices. Little lifestyle changes each day at home, at work, or school can make significant long term changes. These changes we make in our environment can help us have a clean and litter-free world, unpolluted waterways and groundwater, fewer landfills, and cleaner air.
The choices we make every day, to not litter, to secure our trash in our vehicles, and to not let our cars leak oil all over the roadways, all make a difference. It is all about environmental education, and that is something we hope to provide to our community. We are looking forward to rescheduling our Earth Day Celebration soon. Our goal is to make education about the environment and the Earth happen with a whole lot of fun. The wide-ranging of exhibits, displays, games, crafts, music, and entertainment at this event all focus on ways that each of us can make a difference for our planet. It is the little everyday things that we do that can make an incredible difference.
Liberty County Earth Day Celebration is a family fun event that can be enjoyed by everyone in your family! It is free, and it is fun! But the best part, honestly, is that it is information that we can all use in our lives. Our planet could use a little help from all of us. Join us so we can all become good Earthkeepers. I would like for the Earth to last for a few more thousand years, wouldn’t you? To learn more about Earth Day or to volunteer, contact Keep Liberty Beautiful at (912) 880-4888, or email klcb@libertycountyga.com, or visit our website www.keeplibertybeautiful.org.