The History Behind Earth Day

On April 22^nd, every year, Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of modern environmental movement in 1970. Earth Day is a day specifically focused on promoting international awareness of earth conservation. It’s a perfect time to focus on going green. This day was brought into play when Senator Gaylord Nelson worried that environmental issues were not being addressed by politicians after he saw what a California oil spill did in 1969. He took the first step, inspired by Vietnam War protests, to organize a nationwide grassroots demonstration to bring awareness. April of the following year, was when the first official Earth Day with near 20 million Americans showing their support.

Earth day wasn’t always global. That happened later on in 1990. The demonstration mobilized 200 million people in 141 countries. This brought a ton of attention to the environmental issues- Recycling being the biggest one at the time. The government began to respond to the movement. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency, US) was inspired with the message the movement brought along with Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species acts.

With Earth Day’s awareness stretching out into the world globally, there is now more than 190 countries who take part in it. That means that there is over one billion people that recognize Earth Day each year.

This year, 2022, will mark the 52^nd anniversary. This year’s theme is Invest in Our Planet. It’s never too late to do what’s right for the only home we have. If you’d like to learn more about the theme of this year’s Earth Day you can visit the official website EarthDay.Org. On their website you are able to look at events that are happening nearby your location, donate directly to the cause, and learn more ways on how you can take action.