Earth Day is often a forgotten holiday, but because of the planet’s current state, it is becoming increasingly important to take a day to take care of the Earth. This holiday was established on April 22, 1970, since there were no mandatory precautions to help keep our planet clean. Earth Day has grown because of awareness about the state of the world from many global networks and is now the largest civic event on Earth.

Climate change is becoming a real threat to the future of Earth. Our planet’s state is getting worse as we speak. APnews.com says Earth is “an overheating planet that is losing its natural areas.” Humans are the reason for this crisis, because we burn fossil fuels, cut down forests, and don’t use climate-friendly farming techniques. This crisis affects us as well. Our planet’s average temperature has increased by 2 degrees Fahrenheit since 1850. This crisis is affecting other aspects of our Earth, such as our dwindling freshwater supply. Two-thirds of our freshwater is now undrinkable. Wildfires are also becoming more and more common and are destroying forests areas that are most affected, or “hotspots”, include Eastern Europe, the Middle East, much of Brazil, the United States, and many other nations throughout the globe.

So how can people help? Ending our reliance on fossil fuels can greatly impact global warming. We can use clean energy from sources like the wind, sun, and water. Cars are another big contribution to the warming of our planet. Automakers are currently making climate-friendly cars, and it’s our job to begin to choose electric cars over cars fueled with gas. Unfortunately, these options are expensive, but you can also choose cheaper options to help the planet by recycling, volunteering for cleanups, conserving water, or just picking up a piece of trash off the ground.

There are many reasons why we should help Earth. The most important one is that whatever damage that affects our planet eventually affects us too, one way or the other. Specifically, climate change affects the food and water we consume, the air we breathe, and weather quality. Rising sea levels and extreme weather events also impact us negatively. In addition, the quality of our soil is getting worse due to climate change, and we are losing the necessities needed to grow crops.

The Earth’s condition is worsening because of us humans, and this damage is affecting us as well. Climate change, rising tides, and deforestation impact our planet every day. There is much we can do to help stop the massive mess we have made. Big or small, expensive or not, any step towards the betterment of the planet helps create a better present and future.