Swamp Stomp

Volume 18 Issue 19

With the arrival of spring comes one of the most underrated holidays: Earth Day. Although potentially talked about in schools as the day arrives, Earth Day is hardly the type of holiday that gathers media attention or is used for mattress sales like Christmas or Mother’s Day. However, Earth Day is a very important holiday, and it is also a relatively new holiday.

In 1962, Rachel Carson published Silent Spring, a book that became so much more than an expose on pesticides. This book aroused public attention for environmental welfare and public health, not just in the United States, but in 24 different countries. Enter Gaylord Nelson, a senator from Wisconsin with a particular interest in the 1969 Santa Barbara, California oil spill. Seeing the passion that college students across America had for issues such as the Vietnam War, Nelson believed that he could put this passion to use in helping our environment. Nelson organized a committee, and on April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day was celebrated by over 20 million Americans. Various environmental groups from around the country with interests in pollution, wildlife, and many other issues realized their common goal: to protect the planet. By the end of 1970, the EPA was formed and the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act were passed as a result of this new concern for the environment.

Almost 50 years later, Earth Day is still very relevant. Groups around the country put in extra effort on Earth Day to clean up our environment. Instead of having great parties, clean-ups are organized at rivers, lakes, parks, and forests around America. One such clean-up taking place this year is at the Potomac and the Anacostia River. Located in the Washington DC area, both these rivers suffer from concerning amounts of pollution. Loaded with trash and chemicals from the great metropolitan area, the Anacostia an F for its level of health from the Anacostia Watershed Society. The Potomac received a D+ in 2007, but today, due to efforts of clean-up crews, it has a B rating. Crews kayak up and down these rivers, cleaning out the trash, and truly making a difference.

Rivers like the Potomac and the Anacostia are crucial to the environment as part of wetlands. Although not often picked as tourist destinations, wetlands are homes for thousands of organisms and are important for water quality. Just some functions of wetlands include feeding downstream waters, recharging groundwater supplies, and removing pollution from the habitats of plants and animals. In addition, many endangered species make their homes in wetlands. Economically, wetlands are beneficial, as well, due to being popular destinations for fishing and other recreational activities.

Unfortunately, wetlands have seen increasing exploitation in recent decades. Because they have valuable resources, they are often harmed in order to obtain these resources. Also, they are often deemed “unproductive” and drained for the use of developers. Not only is this dangerous for the many endangered species that live in these wetlands, but this is also harmful to us as humans who need water to be alive. Without wetlands, our ability to obtain clean water is seriously threatened.

Earth Day may lie on April 22, but what it represents should be celebrated throughout the year. Wetlands, as well as many other ecosystems across America, need to be protected for the health of our environment. We need to protect these ecosystems for the sake of ourselves and for the sake of the organisms that do not have a voice.

Sources:

Elasar, Dara. “This Earth Day, Head to the River.” Washington Post. Washington Post. April 16, 2018. Web. April 19, 2018.

“The History of Earth Day.” Earth Day Network. Earth Day Network. Web. April 19, 2018.

“Why are Wetlands So Important to Preserve?” Scientific American. Scientific American. Web. April 20, 2018.