Happy Earth Day

Have you heard of Earth Day, but don’t actually know what it is? If so, that’s okay. I’m here to help. Here’s a summary on the history of Earth Day provided by EARTHDAY.ORG. The very first Earth Day was on April 22, 1970. It was the combined effort of Gaylord Nelson, Pete McCloskey, and Dennis Hayes. Senator Gaylord Nelson, prompted by his concern for the deteriorating environment in the United States, wanted to infuse the energy of anti-war protests with the emerging public consciousness about air and water pollution. He had the idea for a teach-in on college campuses and persuaded Congressman Pete McCloskey to serve as his co-chair. Senator Nelson then recruited Denis Hayes, a young activist, to organize the campus teach-ins and to scale the idea to a broader scale.

The very first Earth Day, on April 22, 1970, mobilized millions of Americans. Twenty million Americans took the the streets, parks and auditoriums to demonstrate against the impacts of 150 years of industrial development which had left a growing legacy of serious human health impacts. Since then, Earth Day has evolved into the largest civic event on Earth, activating billions across 192 countries to safeguard our planet and fight for a brighter future.

If you’re looking for ways to get involved, EARTHDAY.ORG has several ongoing initiatives, including The Great Global Cleanup, Fashion For The Earth, and The Canopy Project. You can read about their initiatives here. There are also specific Earth Day events happening all over the world. You can find events in your area here.

Photo by EARTHDAY.ORG