|
The History of Earth Day We celebrate Earth Day each year on April 22nd to demonstrate support for environmental protection. The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970, and was organized by Senator Gaylord Nelson. He started spreading his teachings on college campuses and chose this day to maximize the greatest student participation. It is a weekday between Spring break and final exams. It now includes a wide range of events celebrated globally, which includes one billion people in more than 193 countries. This year, the official theme is ‘Planet vs. Plastics.’ Next year, 2025 will be the 55th anniversary of Earth Day. Before Earth Day was even thought of, Americans were polluting the environment with the use of inefficient automobiles, polluting the air with their emissions. The use of insecticides on fruits and vegetables ended up in our water and sea life and into our bodies. Let’s take a look at the evolution of this holiday, decade by decade. 1960s: This endangering of the environment and marine life was brought to light by the publication of Rachel Carson’s New York bestseller “Silent Spring” in 1962. This book raised public awareness and concerns for all living organisms, the environment and what we were/how we were destroying our planet.
1970s: there was a huge environmental movement and that was the start of Earth Day. Today it is considered the largest secular day of protest in the world. By the end of 1970, many environmental groups and laws were created, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the first environmental laws, such as the National Environmental Education Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the Clean Air Act. Two years later, Congress passed the Clean Water Act.
1980s: Earth day in 1980 took place in Washington, D.C. across from the White House, bringing together a decade of environmental legislation, including the Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) aka Superfund, Toxics Substances Control Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and the Clean Air and Clean Water Act. During this time, the use of DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) and lead in gasoline was banned.
1990s: In 1990, the movement became truly global, with over two hundred million people in 141 countries coming together to present environmental issues to the world. This started worldwide recycling and helped pave the way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit and subsequent international efforts to address environmental challenges collaboratively.
2000s: Earth Day goes online! The power of the internet enabled supporters from all corners of the globe to connect, collaborate, and amplify their efforts towards environmental conservation and awareness.
2010s: Earth Day 2016 commemorated the signing of the Paris Agreement. World leaders from 175 nations were brought together to sign the most significant climate agreement.
2020s: Earth Day 2020 was the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day. The theme was 'Climate Action.' Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many activities took place online, however, that did not stop people from celebrating. Earthday.org hosted a livestream and over one billion people worldwide participated.
Earth Day continues to bring people together to build upon the challenging work of its founders. Thousands of groups and people around the world continue to band together in unity to help deal with our climate crisis, pollution and other obstacles that continue to harm all living things and the environment." As Earth Day continues to evolve, it remains a testament to the collective efforts of individuals worldwide, with each of us playing a vital role in shaping its future and, by extension, the fate of our planet. Learn about 10 Ways Your Business or Law Firm Can Make a Sustainable Impact. |