Saving the Earth
Earth Day is a day to think about the environment. People in the United States celebrate Earth Day on April 22. From cleaning up local parks to testing local water, kids do things to help the Earth.
Michaela Piersanti from New Haven, Connecticut, cares about the environment. “We need to keep Earth clean,” she says.
CleanWater
Pollution is any harmful material that is released into the air, water, or land. Sewage, chemicals, and waste from factories can pollute water. They may harm the plants and animals that live in rivers, lakes, or oceans. Pollution also makes drinking water unsafe. Many children and their families will test the quality of their local water on Earth Day.
Clean Energy
Most of our energy comes from fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas. Burning fossil fuels pollutes air, water, and land. The Earth Day Network wants people to use clean sources of energy that don't pollute the environment, such as solar energy, which is energy from the Sun.
What People Can Do to Help
On Earth Day 2004, people in Tallahassee, Florida, went to see a display about clean energy. They saw how solar energy can be used to power blenders and make juice drinks. They also saw hydrogen-powered cars. Scientists are experimenting with hydrogen-powered cars that do not release harmful exhaust into the air. Finding clean energy sources like these can protect air quality and save resources.
Earth Day isn't the only day to care about Earth. People can do things to help every day. Here are a few things that you can do:
- To conserve water, don't leave the faucet on while you brush your teeth or wash your hands.
- To conserve fossil fuels, ride a bike or walk whenever you can.
- To conserve electricity, turn off the lights, TV, and radio when you are not using them.
- To conserve paper, use cloth bags for groceries and shopping.