Take these 10 easy steps to make every day Earth Day

Earth Day is celebrated every April 22. It was first celebrated in the United States only in 1970, but today, it is celebrated in 192 countries.

Earth Day has an official anthem with lyrics set to Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.”

Peace activist John McConnell first proposed a day to celebrate Earth and peace in 1969. A separate Earth day was launched by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, but was originally only celebrated in the United States. In 1990, coordinator Denis Hayes organized events in 141 countries, officially making Earth Day an international event.

Earth Day programs are currently focused on Green Cities and schools, climate change, women and the economy, and the school lunch program. You may not think that you can make a significant difference in our world, but by doing just a few simple (and pretty enjoyable) things, you can help preserve our Earth.

10 Simple Ways to be “Green”

1) Plant a tree: Trees produce oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from the air. Plus they give us shade in the summer and provide a great place for kids to play or read a book.

2) Plant a garden: You can grow your own food, which will save you plenty of money and trips to the grocery store.

3) Reduce meat consumption: try to eat more naturally grown foods, like fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts and seeds whenever possible. You can shop at Farmer’s Markets to support local farmers and ensure you are consuming fresh, unharmed foods. You can even eat what you grow.

4) Drive less: Only drive your car when you absolutely have to, and plan out the most direct route so as to save gas. In nice weather, walking and riding your bike are great alternative modes of transportation, and they’re a great way to get fresh air, exercise and destress from school. If people in the United States occasionally rode a bike instead of driving a car, over 70 gallons of fuel could be saved every year.

5) Recycle: Plastics, glass, tin and paper products are all recyclable. Use a water bottle that you can refill and reuse every day. If you have old dirty clothes, cut them up and use them as rags instead of throwing them way.

6) Use compact fluorescent lamps instead of regular light bulbs. CFLs last 10 times longer, use a quarter of the energy and produce 90 percent less heat while still producing more light per watt.

7) Turn off lights, water faucets and televisions when you’re not using them. Try to take shorter showers and cut back on TV time. Your grades will thank you for it.

8) Unplug cell phone and other electronic devices’ chargers. They actually use electricity even when they’re not charging anything.

9) Do laundry at night when energy costs are lower. When the weather is nice, wash clothes in a bucket with soapy water and hang them outside to dry.

10) Educate yourself. Learn more about what you can do to help save your Earth. To learn more about Earth Day, visit earthday.org.