Every year on April 22, the world recognizes Earth Day. Earth Day is a special day that is intended to make us think about our relationship with the ecology of our planet and the natural environment all around us. I don’t know exactly what Earth Day means to the people of Slovakia and the Czech Republic, but in America it’s somewhat of a big deal. A former Senator from Wisconsin began the whole thing in response to the growing criticism from ecological activists concerned about the rampant1 destruction of the environment by the spreading of industrialism. Earth Day was originally started on April 22, 1970, around Seattle, Washington in the United States, but has spread out across the world since then.
I can remember as a child when Earth Day was first recognized. It was a nice thing, but to me and many people I knew, it was just some marketing thing — a commercial we saw on TV or a poster on the wall in the library or at school. We didn’t think too much about it. But over the years, and as I grew older, the significance of Earth Day began to mean something to me. The older I got the more and more aware I became of nature and the environment in general, or, more particularly, how it affected me and other people and how I and other people affected it. So by the time I was in high school, I was a pretty big proponent of Earth Day. I remember helping put up flyers in and around my high school for Earth Day one year. And I remember wearing and giving out pins and badges to friends and passersby2. Although my activism has faded3 over the years as I became an adult, I still recognize the significance that Earth Day brings with it each and every year.
So what does Earth Day mean exactly? Or what does it signify? Well, have you heard anyone talking about the concept of global warming? Well years ago before that became a popular catch phrase, there were many scientists, activists and common people who were or became aware of the extensive damage humanity was causing to nature and the world’s environment. Earth Day is meant as a reminder to recognize that this world is all we have. And if we destroy it, then we are killing ourselves too. Earth Day simply spreads information to all who will listen on what each and everyone one of us can do to improve our relationship with our planet. It tries to help build awareness4 and appreciation of the Earth’s environment.
In America Earth Day has become a bigger deal each year. Where once upon a time it was just a TV commercial; now it’s a day full of events which fill city streets and city centers. From the rich and famous to the poor and outcast5, everyone has heard of Earth Day and partake6 in its message of awareness. Earth Day is a day where we reflect on our place in nature and the world when we think about how we can stop or slow down our abuse of nature or our outright7 destruction of it.
So ask yourselves, how you are affecting the environment personally. But more importantly, ask yourself how you can help the environment and nature. What can you do to improve your relationship with nature? It might be something as simple as not throwing your trash8 onto the street. Or instead of dumping harmful chemicals down the toilet, you should dispose9 of them safely. There are many little things you can do to help the environment. And if you feel strongly about the matter maybe someday you will feel like doing bigger and greater things to help mankind work with nature rather than against it.
For a lot more information about what you can do on Earth Day, and how you can improve your natural relationship with the planet every day, please check out these websites:
http://www.earthday.net/
http://earthday.envirolink.org/
http://www.earthsite.org/
Paul Houston
SLOVNIK 1 /ræmp∂nt/ bezuzdný; 2 okoloidúci – kolemjdoucí; 3 strácať sa, miznúť – ztrácet se, miznout; 4 /∂we∂nes/ uvedomovanie si – uvědomování si; 5 vydedenec, tern, kto je mimo zákona – vyděděnec, ten, kdo je mimo zákon; 6 /pa:teik/ podieľať sa – podílet se; 7 otvorený, nepochybný – otevřený, nepochybný; 8 odpad; 9 zlikvidovať – zlikvidovat