Earth day is right around the corner, and instead of just saying Happy Earth Day, ask yourself, why is it a holiday? I would say Earth Day is a holiday that is under-celebrated, and is a day to reflect on our impacts on the world that we rely on for life itself.

If we continue to take from the planet without giving back by protecting it from the harm we inflict on it we will exhaust it of all resources. We will see the ocean levels rise which will cause major flooding and increased temperatures because of increased light being absorbed into the atmosphere by the dark water. We will also see increasingly more dramatic and life-threatening storms because of the rising temperatures.

With all this and the additional carbon being released into the environment it is only getting worse. There's no way to reverse what we have done, but we can significantly reduce the speed at which it all happens, and prevent it from happening for a very long time.

Ultimately, we must all accept that climate change is real because it is. The evidence is clear, and those who deny it do so because they are concerned that the acceptance of climate change will affect major oil companies and the old ways of doing everything.

As much as everyone should be worried, there are ways we can help reduce the carbon in the atmosphere at an individual level, and we can promote these practices to others to get it to a global level of change. Here are 22 ways you can help contribute to protecting the environment and save money!

Linked to each thing you can do is more information as well to get you started:

1. Refuse the styrofoam

2. Start a compost

3. Plant bee-friendly flowers

4. Use a reusable water bottle

*Save money and be healthier

5. Refuse the straw

6. Recycle all the time!

7. Carpool

8. Buy products with less packaging

9. Use beeswax wrap instead of plastic wrap

10. Reduce your consumer intake

11. Buy locally when you can

12. Reseal windows and doors to prevent wasted heat/cooling

13. Use reusable bags

14. Collect rainwater

Income tax credit of up to $1,000

15. Grow some of your own food

16. Fix it before you toss it

17. Buy fuel-efficient cars

18. Dispose of things properly

19. Install energy-efficient lighting

20. Donate/recycle old cell phones

21. Repurpose what you can

22. Talk about what you do for the environment with your friends and family!

The best way to spread good is by spreading positive messages. Tell your friends and family about what you do, maybe they have things they do that you could adopt as well. Some things may not work for you to do, maybe where you live you wouldn't be able to compost your food, and that's okay.

What is important is doing what you can, because without these small sacrifices, we will be forced to make major sacrifices in the future as climate change gets worse.