April 22 is Earth Day. The holiday was first celebrated in 1970 and is a day where everyone is encouraged to support environmental protection.

“The problem is that companies are not giving back the proper care and appreciation to the land we take from,” said Richard Stewart. “It’s God’s earth – we’re just living it.”

Earth Day is more than just a day of idle appreciation for the planet – it’s also a call to action. Earthday.org lists events that are planned across 192 different countries.

“It’s up to our generation because we are the ones who are going to be dealing with the effects of climate change in the long run,” said senior Ramiir Dixon-Conover.

“More people are waking up to it and paying more attention, which is the first step.”

What can you do to help the planet this Earth Day? Educate yourself and others, shop from responsible companies, conserve water and electricity, pick up trash, recycle and, most importantly, remember to do it every day, not just on Earth Day.