Why is Earth Day important?

TESSARA CLARK Staff Writer

Earth Day has been celebrated on April 22 annually to promote environmental protection and advocacy since 1970. Each year, over a billion people help improve the natural environment by planting trees, picking up garbage, being mindful of their electricity and water usage and more.

Although the prospect of teaming up to help protect the environment is admirable, picking up your own garbage and turning off lights when you leave a room should be a societal expectation. Why, then, is there an annual event related to it and why is it important?

Earth Day is not the only day in which people appreciate and care for the Earth; rather, the day is used to spread awareness of environmental issues so that everyone can appreciate and care for the Earth every day. The impact of the event has spread extensively since its creation, which benefits both humans and nature as communities learn what simple actions they can take to improve the natural world for generations to come.

There are numerous ways to get involved on Earth Day, either through an organization or independently. For instance, many nature organizations at the local, national or international level promote Earth Day with craft ideas to reuse waste, sustainability workshops and garbage cleanups. Still others promote planting gardens, turning off the TV and using public transportation to cut down on carbon emissions; there are ways for everyone to participate!

Additionally, plenty of places worldwide have their own unique celebrations on Earth Day. For example, New York City hosts a carfree Earth Day, where they encourage all residents to use public transportation or to walk or bike.

In Rome, Italy, the “Earth Village” is constructed in the Villa Borghese gardens, including workshops for people of all ages to learn about their impact on the environment.

In Madison, everyone in the local

Autism awareness is of vital importance

PAUL BECKER

Staff Writer

By the time this article is published, Autism Awareness Month will be over, though its effects will not. Instead, they will be seen, heard and appreciated. Since its introduction as a national month of recognition by the Autism Society in 1970, autism has been the fastest growing diagnosis in the world. One in 2000 children in the 1970s and 1980s were diagnosed, and today it is one in 68.

Research is continuing with its uncovering process regarding autism, and it is important to know that an intricate combination of genetic, nongenetic and environmental factors coincide with each other, imposing a risk that a child may develop autism, meaning there is no one cause. And to note, risk is not the same as cause, for environmental factors do not guarantee a development of autism, and more specifically, changes in genetic material can occur in people who do not have the disorder.

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) director, Joshua A. Gordon, has collaborated with others on the International Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) to notify and advise governmental groups on autism policies, practices and research precedents. Federal efforts regarding autism have fallen very short on strategic plans to help focus and guide awareness, so Gordon and others have been tasked with creating a plan to show the voices of people with autism. It will be published on the IACC website in May 2023, and it entails detailed propositions through ponderous research.

One focus of the IACC’s plan are several solutions to cover the entire lifespan of someone with autism and the needs of people on the autism spectrum. It is the new plan’s first time addressing older adulthood regarding health and health care. Increasing equity and reducing disparities are another prime focus, where social standards and socioeconomic status raise community is encouraged to participate in the Earth Day Challenge, and help clean local parks by picking up trash, raking, weeding and removing sticks.

Does this mean Earth Day is simply the most notable day to plant trees and collect garbage off beaches? Although these activities help the planet in the short term, the real impact of Earth Day is that it serves as a reminder to everyone that the Earth needs our help to thrive every day. It's an annual worldwide event that reminds the public of their ability to make change – even if it’s simply separating out recyclables or turning off unnecessary lights.

Earth Day, in short, is an annual, day-long event to promote the well-being of the environment by encouraging public participation and informing communities of the best ways to make an impact. From there, everyone needs to make it a high priority to spend the other 364 days of their year being mindful of their environmental impact to make this one day a success.

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