Earth Day is an annual celebration that takes place on April 22. More than 193 nations host Earth Day events, and they are coordinated by the Earth Day Network. The objectives of the events include raising global awareness of environmental concerns and demonstrating support for environmental protection.
When is Earth Day?
On April 22, each year, the world observes Earth Day. The observance of this day as Earth Day has been a tradition since 1970. The first celebration of Earth Day took place on the 100th anniversary of the birthday of Vladimir Lenin. This coincidence gave rise to rumors that linked the event to communism. Once the rumors faded, the date was accepted worldwide as Earth Day. Equinox Earth Day falls on the March equinox, which is around March 20. This date marks the exact time of the astronomical spring in the northern hemisphere and the astronomical autumn in the southern hemisphere.
Who is considered the founder of Earth Day?
The concept of Earth Day was first proposed by John McConnell, a peace activist who attended the 1969 UNESCO conference in San Francisco. McConnell envisioned a day when peace and the earth would be honored, and he proposed March 21 the following year. This date was then sanctioned by a proclamation written by McConnell and signed by U Thant, then Secretary General of the United Nations. A month later, another Earth Day was created by US Senator Gaylord Nelson, in the form of an environmental course held on April 22, 1970. Nelson invited Pete McCloskey, a member of the Republican Congress who revolved around conservation, to be its co-chair. Nelson was inspired by student anti-war movements to make environmental protection a national agenda. Nelson later received the Presidential Medal of Freedom award for his efforts. Denis Hayes popularized the event in 1990 worldwide and encouraged the participation of nations 141.
Historical context
The 1960 was important to the ecological movement in the United States. There was widespread resistance to open arms testing, while in New York’s Nassau County, popular activism opposed DDT. Air pollution was the order of the day when American industries released gas and sludge without fear of repercussions or a bad press. The need to devote a day to environmental protection awareness is due to several factors. In 1969, an oil well off the coast of the city of Santa Barbara, California exploded, spilling more than three million gallons of oil. The well was a drilling operation on the Union Oil A rig, and the disaster resulted in the deaths of more sea lions, seabirds, seals and dolphins 10,000. The disaster led to the mobilization of activists whose objectives included the creation of Earth Day in addition to environmental education and regulations. In 1962 Rachel Carson unveiled the book Silent Spring which has proven to be influential in the fields of environmental pollution and the health of living organisms, selling over 500,000 copies in 24 countries.
When was the first day of the earth celebrated?
The initial Earth Day was observed in 1970 in 2,000 universities and colleges, in 10,000 elementary and secondary schools, as well as in hundreds of communities across the United States. The celebration brought together Democrats and Republicans, the rich and the poor, farmers and tycoons and union leaders. John Lindsay, then mayor of New York City, supported the cause by making Central Park available for the date and closing Fifth Avenue. The New York Times estimated that more than 100,000 people gathered in Union Square throughout the day. In Philadelphia, the crowd gathered at Fairmount Park, where Senator Edmund Muskie spoke as the keynote speaker. The first Earth Day resulted in the creation of Environmental protection agency and the adoption of laws on endangered species, air quality and clean water. By 1990, over 200 million people in 141 nations had joined the cause.
What is the purpose of Earth Day?
Earth Day events are usually held around the world to help protect the environment. Earth Day seeks to unite people from all parts of the world in environmental causes and to make them administrators in the elimination of problems such as pollution, conflicts, poverty and wars. Each year, the Earth Day Organization announces a theme for Earth Day. The theme of Earth Day 2017, for example, was “environmental and climate literacy”. Campaigns associated with Earth Day include the promotion of green cities and reforestation. The need for an Earth Day is more serious than ever due to climate change. Weather conditions are disrupted worldwide, leaving people and flora and fauna more vulnerable to natural disasters. Earth Day events are used to raise awareness of rising sea levels, the extinction of certain species, ocean acidification and other concerns related to climate change.
Interesting facts about Earth Day
- April 22 was chosen to mobilize the students. Senator Nelson invited Denis Hayes to be the national coordinator, and Hayes then studied in the graduate program at Harvard University. Hayes then sought out young environmental activists to promote the event. The team settled in April on 22, the date in many university campuses falling between spring break and final exams. The team wanted to harness the energy that the students had shown in their anti-war movements.
- Since its origins in the United States, Earth Day has become the world’s largest secular event. By 2000, Earth Day attracted 5,000 environmental organizations to 183 countries. Earth Day 2007 broke new records and took place in thousands of places such as London, Kiev, Manila, Venezuela and Tuvalu.
- Earth Day is recognized by the United Nations, which has renamed it International Mother Earth Day in 2009. However, the United States still calls Earth Day.
- Earth Day 2011 in Afghanistan resulted in the planting of 28 million trees, organized by the Earth Day Network.
- As part of Earth Day, a hundred thousand people biked in 2012 to show their support for Co2reduction.
- Earth Day 2016 culminated in the adoption of the Paris Agreement by 120 states that have advanced climate protection efforts.
