By: Jade Rayner News Editor
The 47th annual Earth Day will be observed on April 22, 2017. Earth Day was founded in 1970 by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson; the idea to dedicate a day to focus on the environment was triggered by a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California in 1969, according to earthday.org.
The creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts all resulted from the many rallies and protests that occurred on Earth Day 1970.
As explained on the EPA’s website, their mission is to protect human health and the environment. In order to accomplish their broad goal, the EPA works with Congress by writing regulations for any environmental laws they create. They will also assist states in making sure they meet national environmental standards when needed.
This year, there are many ways that people can be active in the environment on April 22 if they choose to.
A common Earth Day activity is planting trees. “Planting trees is one of the simplest and most effective ways of tackling climate change caused by greenhouse gas. As trees grow they absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), a major greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. When communities plant trees they can help to reduce the impacts of climate change in their local area and around the world,” states www.worldvision.com.
The Luckiamute Watershed Council is hosting a free event to plant trees and shrubs at the Luckiamute State Natural Area in Albany alongside the Central Lions Club of Independence and Boy Scout Troupe #38.
By planting native vegetation, the LWC is hoping to restore the natural area’s wetlands, which is explained in further detail on their website, http://www.luckiamutelwc.org/earthday.
The Oregon Gardens in Silverton will be hosting special activities, along with free admission from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Earth Day; however, parking for the event will be $5.
Locally, the Monmouth Public Library will be doing free Earth Day themed crafts from 2-3 p.m.
In addition to these events, many cities around the country will be holding a March for Science.
“What began as a Reddit conversation has grown into a movement of scientists and science lovers standing up for evidenced-based policy making and inclusivity in the science community,” states www.scientificamerican.com.
Corvallis will be holding its March for Science from 1-3 p.m. at the Benton County Courthouse on April 22. More details can be found on the event’s facebook page.
For those looking for more ideas on how to help the environment, information can be found on www.earthday.org.
Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu
