Founded by an American Senator in 1970, April 22 is now celebrated as International Earth Day in about 175 countries around the world. In honor of Earth Day, Epoch Times reporters asked citizens in a handful of those nations, "What one thing could you change in your life to help improve the environment?"
Many people mentioned that they are already trying to live more lightly on the planet by riding their bikes, planting trees, using environmentally friendly products or educating those around them to do the same. But nonetheless, everyone found ways they could do even better.
Delhi, India
Mathew Kuriakose Kallumpurath, 40, Fair Trader for handicapped villages in India
I can tell my kids about the environment and have our artisans use eco-friendly products and not plastics. And I can give priority to protecting trees and planting more trees. Also, to spread awareness about why we must protect the nature, because it is beautiful. If each individual thinks,"I am not important, because of me it will not make an impact on the environment it's so silly…" It's like you take a mosquito to bed with you and the mosquito is so small, yet you will not sleep the whole night! The same thing with us we all must play our role because the environment is so important!
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Carol Mitzke, 50, Legal Assistant
The one thing I would change is buying clothing. I tend to buy cheap clothing that is made overseas in countries like China, clothing made in huge polluting factories where child labor is used. So instead of buying a lot of cheap clothing I would purchase less clothes and pay more for better quality.
Athens, Greece
Panagiota (Yiota) Xenogiani, 26, Lawyer
The thing I will do to help the environment is recycling. It is easy if you consider it, you just pay more attention to the consumed products you put on your rubbish bin. You separate plastic, paper, aluminum and glass products and then place them in the special public rubbish bins that there are in many areas. Those special public rubbish bins are even designed to pay you if you put in a considerable quantity of those materials. Concerning old and used clothes that everybody has in their wardrobes, we can donate them to charities or to poor families that we know are in need of them instead of placing them into the rubbish bin.
Bangalore, India
Bharath Valecha, 19, Engineering Student
Seeing the present scenario of how human activities have been abusing the environment and making it work against us, I wonder where are we heading to. Human interference in nature is annoying. Global warming is basically caused by various carbon emissions from various sources, so I have taken steps such as planting trees, riding a bicycle, using public transport, car pooling and saving electricity. I have also spread awareness by giving seminars and talking to people about this issue. I feel we all have to unite and take major steps to save the earth from entering a state of emergency. We all need to act NOW!
Darvari, Romania
Gelu Buzuriu, 39, Client Relations in a Tourism firm
Getting involved more! Getting the attention of the authorities who have funds allocated that can make and a difference, and be noticed by the community. All this can be driven by personal example. One such example is my wife, who is a geography teacher. She took the children from her class and planted 600 trees. That was fun and very good for the environment.
Hamilton, New Zealand
Amanda Colmar, 41, Graphic Designer and Mother
I recycle everything. Now at 41 years of age, I have a baby. I use cloth nappies and biodegradable wipes but if I could, the one thing I would like to do is have solar power. We switched off for Earth Hour and it was amazing knowing we were joining people all over the world to make a very small difference-hopefully to make people realise that every little thing can eventually become a big thing.
Magdir, Morocco
Mustafa Balchu, 45, Waiter
I am willing to try to change my behavior and be more considerate of other people. I will educate people around me, and people in my city to keep the environment clean, to stop destroying trees and protect nature, to keep the streets and parks clean and to aspire for peace and harmony in the world.
Galon (Kibbutz), Israel
Masha Jachnin, 14, high school student
I am willing to help improve the environment by stopping using plastic bags, to recycle things, to use less things like spray deodorant and to leave clean the places that I've been to.
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Ken Cromeford, 31
I think riding bikes is a good way to help the environment, promoting getting away from our car culture. I use the train and local (Trax commuter) system also.
Kosice, Slovakia
Marka Klapakova, 19, Literature Student
I think I am already making efforts in this area. I separate garbage and travel by bike, which is not particularly easy in our town. But I do have a feeling that I could do more. For example, I don't have to throw the used tickets on the ground, so I will try to reduce this. Then I will walk less across lawns and use the pavement instead, and I can also stop using freons.
I plan to celebrate International Earth Day this year. I will eat only salads and will not pick flowers.
Paris, France
Nada Daher, 29, Hygene Controller
Actually, I feel so sad when I see documentaries on TV showing how pollution is destroying the living beings on Earth. So to contribute to a healthier environment, I carry a reusable fabric bag instead of plastic bags. I sort my garbage, and I buy environment-friendly products; I even save water when I brush my teeth. Even at my job as Hygiene Controller at a hospital [in Paris France], I make sure to instruct everyone that garbage be sorted; I already replaced the chemical hand-cleaning products with steam machines, and I frequently give small lectures about this topic.
Fiumicino Roma, Italy
Maria Uliantzeff Kulchitsky, 79, Retired Secretary
In think we should not use nylon bags in the supermarket; we can stop smoking and we can stop using spry products and using technologies that do not harm our earth is better.
Taipei, Taiwan
Wang Ihsien, 53, Housewife
Don't smoke, because I smoke at the moment. Smoking can pollute the air, for myself, for everyone, and for the earth – it's bad.
Wollongong, Australia
Mei Morrison, 35, Dietitian
Buy a rainwater tank with my $900 Stimulus Package*. With the impact of the drought on our environment, I think this would be a positive, small step towards making a difference. *The Government will provide $12.2 billion to assist households and support economic growth in 2008-09. Eligible working Australians are to be paid a Tax Bonus of up to $900 during April 2009.
Islamabad, Pakistan
Tahira Shahid, 56, Librarian
To improve the environment I would not use plastic shopping bags, but only paper or cloth bags. We already do this at the school where I work, we use cloth bags for library books. I think making this small change is easy and makes such a difference. Here in Pakistan there are so many plastic bags that litter the streets and this small effort could make such a difference in cleaning things up.