Earth Day is just around the corner. On April 22, 2023, more than 1 billion people from 192 countries around the world will celebrate the planet by protecting its future. The organization EARTHDAY.ORG is the organizer of this annual environmental event.
The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970, where thousands of students across the country participated in organized protests for a healthy and sustainable planet, according to National Today. Now, more than 50 years later, it is still going strong.
The idea for Earth Day
The idea for this day dedicated to the planet was the brainchild of US Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, who witnessed the devastation of a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California in 1969. USA Today reported that Nelson was joined by Congressman Pete McCloskey of California and activist Denis Hayes. The organizers called for teach-ins about the environment. They named the event Earth Day.
The first Earth Day united environmental advocacy groups and inspired 20 million Americans to participate. The day centered on cleaning up the air pollution from factories and automobiles, oil spills, and the use of harmful pesticides. This led to the creation of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Clean Air, Clean Water, and the Endangered Species acts. It was a very good start.
By 1990, Earth Day went global with 200 million people from 141 countries participating. But today, there are even more pressing concerns than just oil spills. With climate change causing increasing extreme weather, natural disasters, and loss of habitat and the extinction of animals and plants; taking care of the planet is even more necessary now.
Earth Day 2023
The focus for 2023 is Invest in the planet, through many initiatives including planting trees, participating in beach or land clean ups, ending single-use plastic use, and promoting climate literacy, according to National Today.
You can do your part by reducing your carbon footprint when you travel – train versus plane – by eliminating fast fashion and reusing or recycling your unwanted clothing. Or by changing your diet to reduce or eliminate meat, a step that will help reduce carbon emissions, you are doing your part.
“Earth Day is about the billions of individual actions taken worldwide towards a greener, more equitable future. We have the money, the ingenuity, and the resources,” Kathleen Rogers, president of EARTHDAY.ORG said in a press release, “if governments, institutions, businesses, and individuals each Invest in our planet by allocating time, money, innovation, and social commitment towards these areas of action we can solve climate change.”
So, on Earth Day 2023, make sure your voice is heard and invest in the future of the planet. One person’s voice may not be enough to enact change but 1 billion voices together can really make an impact.
