Earth Day is celebrated on April 22; its purpose is to raise awareness of environmental protection and climate change. This tradition started on April 22, 1970, when U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed the idea. The event saw 20 million Americans show their commitment to environmental protection.
America, leading up to this moment, pumped gas and sludge into the air and environment without a care in the world. They had no clue what they were doing to the ecosystem, let alone their contribution to global warming. This obliviousness changed when Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring was published by the New York Times and gained a massive following. Over 500,000 copies of the book sold in 24 countries. This book led to the realization of what was happening to our planet and why.
Senator Nelson previously worried about the state of our planet, but when he and many others saw the massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California, he knew there needed to be a change. Nelson announced his idea at a teach-in on a college campus to the national media. Nelson even persuaded Pete McCloskey, a conservative Republican congressman. Denis Hayes, a young activist, scaled the idea to the broader public. They chose April 22 because it’s the perfect weekday falling between Spring and Finals, with the idea that it will maximize student engagement.
According to Earthday.org, “Hayes built a national staff of 85 to promote events across the land, and the effort soon broadened to include a wide range of organizations, faith groups, and others.” This is a great start to helping our environment.
Now, Earth Day has inspired 20 million Americans, which, at the time it started, was 10% of the population. They now take to the streets and spread awareness.
In 2020, it was the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. For the anniversary, Earthday.org hosted the Great Global CleanUp. The Great Global CleanUp was a worldwide effort in which millions of volunteers removed waste and plastic from beaches, parks, and neighborhoods. They even hosted events in 192 countries, where businesses, organizations, and individuals came together to clean their local environments.
Along with that, for the 50th anniversary, over 100 million people watched their three-day livestream, making it the largest online mass mobilization in history, which is an amazing accomplishment.
Some schools around the world host special events to honor Earth Day. In some schools, students participate in making miniature gardens and donate the crops to the school or to food banks. They can also host a school campus clean-up to keep the surrounding environment clean.
Although Earth Day has passed, it’s still incredibly important to take care of our environment. We can all do our part, in small ways, to move toward the goal of a healthy Earth. So make sure to pick up trash and spread awareness to those around you.
