7 ways we’ve made the Earth better since the last Earth Day

Earth Day is here again on April 22, and since the last time our planet reached this part of its orbit, humanity has actually taken surprisingly big new steps to avert the gargantuan threats to life as we know it: toxic pollution, habitat destruction, extinction, and climate change.

These problems stem from the things we build, buy, and eat. But that also means if we change our actions, we can solve them.

Certainly, individual decisions about housing, appliances, transportation, and diet play a key role in reducing our harmful impacts on the planet....