04/22/2024
Earth Day is one of my favorite days. There are so many things we can do to make a small step in the right direction to help
Our planet. Helping our planet is most important to me because if we don’t take care of her we will eventually not have other issues to b&tch about if she is gone. I want to see my kids thriving in a safe and healthy environment in the future. Xoxo
1. It Is the Largest Secular Holiday in the World
It is the largest secular holiday in the world. The Earth Day Network works with over 20,000 partner organizations in 192 countries to coordinate events for this day. It is estimated that over a billion people take part in Earth Day activities around the world, which makes it the largest secular event on the planet.
2. It Started Nationally and Then Grew Into an International Phenomenon
While Earth Day began in the U.S. on April 22, 1970, it did not go international until 1990. It started out with 200 million people in 141 countries and eventually grew to the mammoth proportions mentioned above.
3. We Can Thank Earth Day for Bringing Us the EPA
The first Earth Day helped push important environmental legislation in the United States. Later in the same year of the first Earth Day ever, the 1970 amendments to the Clean Air Act were passed. It is not seen as any coincidence that this happened right after the dawn of a movement to bring the problems of pollution to the forefront of peoples’ consciousness. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was also created by the end of this same year.
4. It Birthed the Environmental Movement
One of the most important and long lasting Earth Day facts is that the environmental movement was born with the creation of Earth Day in 1970. There were always people concerned about the environment in terms of air and water pollution and making efforts to clean it up, but Earth Day helped to galvanize these concerns into an actual movement with social and political impact.
5. It Brought Greenery to Barren Lands
Afghanistan is known for being a barren and foreboding land with less vegetation than more hospitable areas. In honor of Earth Day in 2011, 28 million trees were planted in this country through the actions of the Earth Day Network.
6. It Changed People’s Thinking in Their Daily Decisions
Earth Day has helped make concern for the environment a priority in how people live their own lives. While this annual event has spurred the environmental movement on to victory on the legislative front, it has also made people think more about their own choices and how they impact the planet we all live on. People are more predisposed to use recyclable materials that won’t end up on a landfill, and the financial and practical impediments to widespread adoption of electric vehicles versus their conventional counterparts is overlooked by many mainly for environmental reasons.
7. Founded by a Wisconsin Senator
Earth Day was founded by Wisconsin Senator Ga***rd Nelson. His work for the environment also included a stint as counselor for The Wilderness Society starting in 1981. In 1995, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his environmental work by Bill Clinton.
8. Education Was and Still Is the Goal
This now worldwide event began as a teach-in about environmental issues when it started in the United States. This may be why 2,000 colleges along with 10,000 primary and secondary schools participated in the first one.
9. Earth Day’s Organizers Provide Tools to Help You Do Your Part
The Earth Day Network’s EnergyCenter enables people to reduce their personal greenhouse gas emissions. It helps them calculate their current usage and gives tips on how to reduce their carbon footprint. This website and effort fosters the belief that only by everyone doing their part can we fully address the problem of climate change.
10. NASA Helping Out on Earth Day
In 2014, NASA took an active part in Earth Day. Their event asked people to take a photo of themselves outside, and send it to NASA. The space agency then put these pictures on a map of the world for all to see to commemorate their participation in this important day.
