Earth Day is an entire day dedicated to showing support for the well-being of our environment and celebrating the progress we have made in terms of our sustainability as a society. This year’s theme is Planet vs. Plastics, which aims to bring awareness to the damage it causes not only to human health, but also the environment. Single use plastics and fast fashion are some of the main issues we are combating this year with the push for a strong UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution.
According to the Earth Day official website, microplastics can cause significant harm to human cells, thus leading to certain health issues. This includes lung disease, birth defects, and cancers. Babies are especially vulnerable, for early exposure to plastics disrupts the natural systems within the body, which interferes with child development.
If plastic pollution is not good for humans, then it only makes sense that this artificial material is dangerous to all other wildlife as well. Animals ingest this plastic waste, which can cause intestinal blockages or punctured organs. Soil is damaged and groundwater is poisoned, spreading toxins everywhere. Plastic does not decompose and cannot be burned or broken down, so it remains on the surface of water and earth, affecting all living things on this planet.
Daria Prawlocki, a Neuqua Valley AP Environmental Science teacher, explains that “if we continue to over consume and disregard the state of the planet, we may not have a chance to reverse our negative impacts. It ultimately comes down to reducing consumption dramatically and localizing many modern systems such as farming and production of goods.” This day should be a reminder of the fragile state of our planet, which was made fragile by human activity. In reality, one day out of the year encouraging self-awareness is not going to do much, “it should be at the forefront of our discussions as a society each and every day if we want to continue to survive on our planet,” Ms. Prawlocki argues.
This Earth Day, instead of picking up some trash out of obligation of the calendar, consider making this the beginning of a real change. Every day, you should be doing your part to reprimand decades of ignorant decisions. A good way to start is by reducing plastic use, making sustainable fashion choices, donating, volunteering for cleanups, and overall just spreading awareness on the issue, especially on powerful platforms such as social media.
Although this puts a lot of pressure on our generation to set things straight, it is a necessary truth that we must be willing to accept. In order to generate real change, we all need to adjust our lifestyles, valuing the future of our planet over the current conveniences that plastics provide. We must stop thinking that our attempts, as individuals, are not making a difference, discouraging us from making the necessary efforts. This is a cop out. The truth is, the only way to save our planet is by the cooperation of each individual, each person’s actions crucial to our livelihood.
