The ad that inspired me to do more for our Earth

I first saw this ad when I was 12 years old. I was very concerned then about water pollution, air pollution, and what the future would bring for our children. My mom told me to get books on it out of our library and read on it so I did. I took out a book on air polllution, water pollution, and the librarian gave me Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson which was a wake up call for my mother as well as myself as we read it together that summer.

I then pledged I would do all I could as one person to stand up for this planet. I even wrote a letter to then president Nixon telling him that we needed to go back to horses and buggies if we couldn't find a way to make our cars cleaner. Believe it or not, he responded to me telling me he was thrilled that someone my age cared so much for our planet. Little did I know what he was doing in Vietnam and Cambodia at the time. However, on the environmental front the EPA was formed as people were becoming vocal about what we were doing to change the face of this planet. And it was this ad that reminded me all of those years ago that we indeed are responsible for what happens to our Earth because we are all connected. And it has never left me.

It is a shame that thirty years later we still have the same threats to our air and water that also threaten our health and safety. However, back then people came together to do what was necessary to protect our air, our water, our land, and other species. I then see no reason why we cannot do the same now, especially since it is more crucial than ever to do so.

I hope this Earth Day will be an inspiration for many more young people as that ad was for me in awakening to the challenge ahead and facing it with a renewed optimism. We did it before. We can do it again.