Austin-area restaurants participate in Eat for Impact all month long

AUSTIN (KXAN) — April has arrived. Many of us will be looking for ways to celebrate Mother Earth. This year's Earth Day celebration will be on Tuesday, April 22. The global theme for this year's Earth Day is "Our Power, Our Planet."

Individuals and communities will be called upon to take action for a sustainable future, focusing on things like renewable energy and sustainable solutions. Young students have a chance to work on projects that teach them about the need to preserve our planet.

Do you need to wait until April 22 to celebrate Earth Day? Not in Austin this year. As always, Austin is at the forefront of helping people learn about sustainable eating. It started on April 1 and lasts until April 30. It's called Eat For Impact.

Angela Baucom is the food and climate program coordinator for the city of Austin. She spoke with Rich Segal about Eat For Impact.

This initiative is designed to explore climate-friendly cuisine. Several Austin-area restaurants, from fine dining to casual dining, and food trucks are participating in Eat For Impact.

She said the food choices we make not only impact each of us, but there is also an impact on the people who grow the food, affecting the land on which the food is grown and even our air quality.

By the way, the first Earth Day was organized by Sen. Gaylord Nelson (D-Wisconsin) in 1970. The date, April 22, was chosen because it fell between college spring breaks and final exams. This would maximize student participation.