This week brings a yearly reminder of what we can do to address environmental problems. Earth Day is Friday, a global occasion to recognize how health, longevity and happiness are connected to the world's environment. This year's theme is "Invest in Our Planet," which refers to individual actions and the role of companies in taking conservation seriously.

The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970 is considered the start of our country's modern environmental movement, an awareness that industrial development had serious impacts from oil spills, air and water pollution, loss of wildlife habitat and pristine landscapes, and the extinction of many plants and animals. Groups fighting these losses began to unite around shared values. By the end of 1970 and for several years after, these efforts led to the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act. These laws have protected millions from disease and death and have saved hundreds of species.

Families and individuals can make a difference all year by buying reusable or recyclable items, choosing products with less plastic packaging, reducing energy use when possible, supporting environmental protection groups, volunteering for park and stream cleanups or tree-planting work. Suggested activities also include planting flowers to attract pollinating creatures like bees, not using garden and lawn pesticides and managing home water consumption to avoid needless use. A campaign called the Earth Month Ecochallenge 2022 encourages small changes that add up to big gains. Examples include alternative transport such as bikes or public transit, preparing more vegetarian meals, reducing energy needs and cutting waste.

Coordinating group says: "What each of us does, and how we do it, has a huge ripple effect on our ecosystems, and on the pace of corporate and government action." – EarthDay.org

Blogger posts: "Changing habits is never easy, and we are still struggling to moderate our behavior in Earth-friendly ways. . . . Obviously, we can't all change the world in a big way, but we can all change our ways." – Ann Lovejoy, "Green Gardening" blogger on Bainbridge Island, Wash.

Nonprofit leader says: "No one person has to do it all; we all just have to do the best we can." -- Kathleen Rogers, president and chief executive of EarthDay.org