Earth Day is an annual celebration held on April 22nd around the world to show support for environmental protection. It was originally observed in 1970 and is today observed by millions of people in a variety of ways, including community clean-ups, tree planting, educational programs, and environmental campaigning. The purpose of Earth Day is to raise awareness about environmental issues and to promote conservation and sustainable activities that will help to protect the world. Invest in Our Planet is the official theme for 2023.
Peace campaigner John McConnell proposed a day to honor the Earth and the concept of peace at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco in 1969, to be observed on March 21, 1970, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. This day of nature’s equipoise was later sanctioned in a proclamation written by McConnell and signed by Secretary General U Thant at the United Nations.
A month later, on April 22, 1970, United States Senator Gaylord Nelson planned a countrywide environmental teach-in. Denis Hayes, a young activist, was hired as the National Coordinator. The event was christened “Earth Day” by Nelson and Hayes. Denis and his team expanded the event from its original concept of a teach-in to cover the entire United States. More than 20 million people took to the streets on Earth Day, which remains the largest single-day protest in human history.
The first Earth Day in 1970 was a significant event in the United States, and it played a pivotal role in the environmental movement, resulting in the establishment of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the passage of landmark environmental laws such as the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act.
Key non-environmental partners played critical roles. The United Auto Workers (UAW), for example, was the most crucial outside financial and operational sponsor of the first Earth Day under the leadership of labor leader Walter Reuther. “Without the UAW, the first Earth Day would have likely flopped!” says Hayes. Nelson was eventually given the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his efforts.
Since then, Earth Day has evolved into a global celebration, with numerous organizations, governments, and communities taking part in activities that address urgent environmental issues such as climate change, deforestation, pollution, and biodiversity loss. Earth Day reminds us of the significance of working together to maintain and safeguard our world for future generations.
