By Paul Ehrlich, Neighborhood News Staff Writer
September 18th is National Cleanup Day! Across the country, and all over the world, people are volunteering to come together and clean up the planet.
While National Cleanup Day has only been celebrated since 2017, the holiday has made a massive impact on the environment. In 2018, over 14 million pounds of trash were collected by more than a million volunteers!
There are plenty of ways you can help clean up the earth, both on National Cleanup Day and on every day of the week.
First, join a cleanup event if you haven’t already. There are cleanups going on in all 50 states, as well as in Canada, Mexico and Australia. If there are no cleanup events going on in the area, you can create one yourself using the National Cleanup Day guidelines listed on their website.
Second, consider what kinds of transportation you use. Walking and biking are better for the environment than driving a car. If you need to drive a car, buy one that is electric or gets great gas mileage.
Third, think about cutting back on some types of seafood. A considerable amount of the plastic in our oceans comes from discarded fishing nets.
Finally, conserve water. Water is a precious resource that may become scarce as global warming increases. Conserving it is not only good for your water bill but is also good for the environment.
Our planet is cleaner now than it was during the 1970s, but we have a long way to go. So, let’s get out there and start cleaning up!
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