The History of Earth Day
Written by Sriram Srikanthan
Happy Earth Day!
April 22nd, 2023 marks Earth’s 53rd birthday! Wait, isn’t the Earth 4.5 billion years old (National Geographic, n.d.)? Then what is Earth Day…? Let’s talk about it!
Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22nd, 1970, with an estimated 20 million participants in different cities around the United States. The concept of Earth Day was first proposed by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson who was inspired by the Santa Barbara oil spill in 1969 and anti-war movements in the 1960s (Earth Day Network, n.d.). Rachel Carson, author of 1962’s Silent Spring was also a huge influence on the whole idea of Earth Day, which sparked the push for environmentalism (Earth Day Network, n.d.)
Earth Day normalized the modern environmental movement, led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and important environmental laws such as the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2011).
20 years later, in 1990, Earth Day became a global celebration where 141 countries and 200 million participants brought awareness to environmental injustice (Earth Day Network, n.d.). It became a day where humans alike came together as environmental activists to demand for global efforts and action. Earth Day brought opposing countries and people together as everyone as being affected by climate change.
More recently, Earth Day has become the “largest secular observance in the world”, with 192 countries and 1 billion plus people participating in activities and events focused on environmental education, sustainability, and conservation (Earth Day Network, n.d.). Schools, communities, and organizations honour Earth Day by hosting garbage clean-ups, tree planting events, and dedicating time spent outside to really appreciate nature.
Check out this link for Earth Day activities which can be done by yourself, your organization, or municipality!
Earth Day has a different theme and focus each year, from climate change and plastic pollution to biodiversity and sustainable agriculture. 2023’s theme is “Invest in Our Planet” (Earth Day Network, n.d.). Not only is it to push corporate giants and governments to financially invest in the Earth’s wellbeing, but the idea that we as society must collectively invest our time to the Earth’s protection and sustainability efforts.
What will you do for Earth Day?
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