We are pleased that the North Country has taken notice of the significance of Earth Day, but we wonder whether such an important concept as protecting our planet should be restricted to just one specific day.

Cleanup activities have been going full force across the region as individuals, organizations and communities have taken the step to make their surroundings healthier and more attractive for both nature and the humans who rely so much on it.

One local group, for instance, used the improved weather conditions of late to get out onto the roadside along Route 22 from the new Plattsburgh International Airport to the Northway intersection at Exit 36 to pick up discarded debris that had accumulated over the long winter.

That was a terrific effort by all involved, attested to by the large volume of garbage that lay in trash bags alongside the road after the group had finished. The services rendered by these volunteer organizations that have "adopted" sections of roadways throughout the tri-county are certainly appreciated and applauded.

But we have to question the reason these efforts are necessary. Where does such a large amount of garbage come from and why does it end up where it shouldn't be? Surely, we understand that some of it arrives along the road by accident, a plastic bag from someone's trash at home that was caught by the wind or a hubcap that fell off some unknowing motorist's vehicle.

However, we fear that much of the waste comes from people who don't want to be bothered with discarding garbage themselves and throw it out their car window for someone else to worry about.

It may seem trivial, worrying about a small amount of garbage in relation to the tons and tons of refuse that each America produces annually, but it's a start.

If we can concentrate on making our local communities clean and healthy day after day, then maybe that energy can translate into a stronger commitment to global issues that threaten the health of our planet and the safety of our children and their children.

Earth Day became a formal celebration in 1970 and was meant to be a grass-roots demonstration on behalf of the environment.

Over the next several decades, the popularity of the idea has ebbed and flowed with each year, as individuals weighed the importance of the environment to their lives.

Today, there seems to be little separation between the environment and human life. Our health, our welfare, our quality of life all depend on the quality of the planet. When the environment is polluted, the very soul of humanity is contaminated. We can't keep the two issues separate; the Earth won't let us.

So, although we applaud Earth Day and the concept it promotes, we feel that the greater good would be to consider a much stronger commitment to the planet.

Let's celebrate Earth Day every April, but let's also celebrate Earth Year every day of our lives.