April 22, 2010 marked the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Earth Day began 40 years ago when Senator Gaylord Nelson developed the idea over a period of seven years starting in 1962.  During this time our country was only concerning themselves with politics, rather than the environment.  Nelson planned to raise awareness by persuading President Kennedy to speak about the environmental concerns at the convention tour. The speeches Kennedy gave did not put this issue on the political agenda. However, the idea of protecting the environment evolved into what is now Earth Day.

    Although Earth Day only comes around once a year to raise awareness of our impact on the earth, society can help every day of the year. Portland, Oregon is the greenest city in the United States. In Portland over half of the used energy comes from renewable resources.  Most citizens of Portland either bike, carpool, or use public transportation. This city's environmental effort has gained the title of being the sixth greenest city in the world.
  
    As students, there are ways for you to become greener, for the entire burden should not only be placed on adults in society. To become more environmentally friendly, just follow the three R's: reduce, reuse and recycle. These are the building blocks to a cleaner world.  Being green is not as difficult as it sounds; even the smallest steps can have a long lasting positive effect on the world. 

    One of the simplest tasks you can do is recycle your school papers once you are finished with them. By not throwing papers directly into the trash you are becoming green. Every year the average American throws away 1,460 pounds of trash. All of this trash ends up in the landfill. World-wide, there are shortages in landfill space. Recycling your papers will not only help the landfill problem, but also fewer trees will be cut down for paper each year. Over 95% of the original forests in the United State have been cut down. The major impact you can make just by recycling is substantial if everyone contributes.
   
     Even the smallest step toward becoming more environmentally friendly can have a dramatic effect. Earth is the planet we all call home. Every day, making small changes for our home to be clean, safe, and healthy is a necessity.  Earth Day is not just one day, but a conscious effort to be aware of the environment every day of the year.