For almost five decades, April 22 has been set aside as a day for the environment.

It’s Earth Day, a time for people across the world to celebrate the planet and focus on ways to preserve its beauty.

Monday marked the 49th rendition of said celebration — or maybe better said — call to action. The theme of this year’s Earth Day was a weighty one; it was an appeal to slow the rapid extinction happening within plant and wildlife populations.

According to NASA’s Global Climate Change website, the planet’s average surface temperature has risen approximately 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit since the late 19th century. There is more than a 95 percent probability that the warming has been caused by human activity.

Quests to slow climate change have advanced from planting trees to getting the world to net-zero emissions by 2050. And as the Earth heads toward a potentially devastating not-so-distant future, many are asking themselves: What can I do to combat climate change?

Short of single-handedly reversing decades of pollution, local experts say it starts with taking a hard look at your own lifestyle.

“I think some of the more impactful environmental changes are only going to happen when people start doing things that are truly an inconvenience for them,” Susan Gallagher, chief naturalist at the Carbon County Environmental Center, said. “People are going to have to step up.”

“It’s almost like we need an entire change in attitude so that we start to realize that everything we do has an impact on the environment,” she said.

In order to truly grasp the “magnitude” of the climate issues the world is facing, Gallagher said, people need to first know that everything they do affects the environment. And she’s not the only person who thinks this way.

“It’s just a matter of everybody taking responsibility, because every minute of every day, every person on this earth has an impact on the environment,” Karen N. Boyle, environmental educator at Kettle Creek in Monroe County, said.

But what does taking responsibility for your impact on the environment look like? To that question, there’s a mountain of answers. Let’s start with just six things Gallagher and Boyle say you can do locally to better take care of the world around you.

1 Know your elected officials

Do you know your representative’s stance on climate change? What’s their voting record on environment-centered policies?

Gallagher said these are things you should think about when Election Day rolls around.

“I like to make sure that the environment is on my mind when I go to my polling place,” Gallagher said. “We can talk about jobs, and we can talk about other issues that politicians like to address, but if you don’t have clean air, and clean water, and soil that we can grow things in, then to me, those issues are irrelevant.”

2 Spend time outside

If this tip sounds simple, that’s because it is; Gallagher and Boyle both said that an interest in protecting the environment starts with an understanding of how it works. That could mean taking regular nature walks, bird watching or even just spending a summer night outside listening for chirping insects and croaking frogs.

“That variety of plants and animals that we have on the Earth is a very important thing — and it’s here for a reason,” Boyle said. “The more we understand about who we live with — what we live with — the better we’ll understand how we need to protect it and take care of it.”

3 Make some new habits

Boyle said minute adjustments, like shutting off the faucet while lathering your hands, buying in bulk or unplugging appliances during the day, are little changes you can make to try and be more aware about your carbon footprint.

“Eventually what happens is you just forget that you’re doing them,” Boyle said. “It just becomes part of your routine, part of your habit.”

4 Get plugged in

Gallagher said many conversations about what happens to the environment start in individual municipalities; and whether it’s the possibility of erecting wind turbines in the township or running pipelines under the borough, residents need to be a part of those discussions.

“A lot of environmental decisions are made at a local level, and you don’t know what’s going on in your community unless you’re involved,” Gallagher said. “You have to be part of the process.”

5 Understand your power as a consumer, and use it

You’ve heard of reduce, reuse, recycle. Now, get ready for a new version of the three R’s of the environment: reduce, reuse, refuse (as Boyle tells them). That small change in diction means refusing to patronize companies or brands that aren’t environmentally friendly, and being aware of what you put in your cart.

“Every time you buy something, or you don’t buy something, you’re sending a message to the people who produce those goods or services,” Gallagher said.

“How did we create all this litter? How did we create all these one-time use, disposable plastics?” she said. “Well, we bought them.”

6 Support your local environmental center

Between them, the Carbon County and Kettle Creek Environmental Education Centers maintain a long list of responsibilities, like providing educational programs for students, preserving the local environment and protecting the waterways. Both organizations are legal subdivisions of their respective conservation district, meaning they receive funding from the state. But that doesn’t mean they can’t use your support — whether it’s donating to the centers or walking their trails.

Another way residents can help, Boyle said, is supporting events hosted by their local center. And if you’re free this weekend, you’re in luck, because you have the chance to do exactly that this Saturday.

On Saturday, Monroe County Conservation District will host its annual Earth Day Celebration. The event, which will take place at the Northampton Community College Campus in the county, goes from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and features live music, guest speakers and green campus tours. It is free and open to the public.

For more information, go to https://www.mcearthday.org.