To the Editor:
I am old enough to remember the first Earth Day in 1970, when 20 million people from communities throughout the United States came out to peacefully celebrate the environment and our precious earth. Some cleaned up litter, others planted trees, and, yet, others called for policy changes that would have lasting positive effects on our planet.
Earth Day is now celebrated worldwide in 193 countries and coordinated by the non-profit Earth Day Network. The theme for Earth Day 2019 - Monday, April 22 - was Protect Our Species.
The rapid reduction of plant and wildlife populations are directly linked to human activity: climate change, deforestation, habitat loss, trafficking and poaching, unsustainable agriculture, pollution and pesticides. Species in danger include coral reefs, whales, elephants and insects, to name a few.