World Earth Day 2023

Amazing though it is, our planet requires our assistance to survive. To protect the planet from things like pollution and deforestation, more than a billion people celebrate Earth Day every year on April 22. We contribute to a happier, healthier world by engaging in actions like litter cleanup and tree planting. The annual celebration of Earth Day honors the accomplishments of the environmental movement and promotes the importance of preserving the planet’s natural resources for coming generations.

Earth Day has been observed by billions of people every year on April 22 to join forces in raising awareness for the condition of our environment for the past 50 years. Why should we keep observing this holiday? Despite the fact that serious concerns about our changing environment are being studied and addressed today by renowned scientists, politicians, and young climate change activists alike, some people are adjusting to more environmentally friendly ways of living — every day, not just on April 22 every year. Some people may view it as just another holiday or an excuse to wear green and a flower crown similar to St. Patrick’s Day. Save the turtles by using metal straws, carpooling, recycling, composting, and other sustainable practices.

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What is Earth Day?

Ever ponder the origins of Earth Day? The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970, when Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson and San Francisco activist John McConnell separately urged people to participate in a grassroots protest. An impressive 20 million Americans—10% of the population—went outside and protested in response to the extremely serious issues of toxic drinking water, air pollution, and pesticide effects.

The Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act were all successful laws that were passed after President Richard Nixon led the country in establishing the Environmental Protection Agency.

History of Earth Day

McConnell initially wanted to celebrate on March 20, the spring equinox, but Nelson suggested April 22, which ultimately became the day. (Given that the date of the spring equinox changes over time, it may have made things more complicated to go with the astronomical event rather than just a calendar date.)

In addition to raising public awareness of environmental issues, Earth Day is now a well-liked occasion for many communities to come together to pick up trash, plant trees, or simply appreciate the beauty of nature. We’ve included a list of projects and activities further down the page that you can complete to enhance your neighborhood’s environment.

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Earth Day Activities

Find inventive ways to change up your daily routine, such as your commute. Carpool with friends, use public transportation, walk, skate, scooter, or ride a bike to get where you’re going instead of driving. Depending on the weather, you might prefer this novel mode of transportation to be stuck in traffic.

The majority of people are likely aware that the meat industry is primarily to blame for a quarter to a third of all greenhouse gas emissions that occur in the world related to food production. According to a recent BBC report, by the year 2050, global emissions related to food would be reduced by about 60% if everyone went vegetarian and stopped eating red meat. Instead, if everyone became vegan, emissions would drop by about 70%. 

Even though they may appear unimportant in the grand scheme of things, your wardrobe and your purchasing habits can actually harm our environment. By purchasing thrifted or gently used clothing online, new resources aren’t used to create more garments that will ultimately be recycled, reused, or disposed of. According to some studies, buying things online is better for the environment because it uses about 30% fewer resources than traditional retail.

Additional Earth Day Activities

• Please help our pollinators.
• Clean Up Plastic in Your Local Park or Neighborhood
• Utilize native plants and wildflowers
• Sow a tree
• Gardening With Less, Reusing, and Recycling
• Stop using chemicals and pesticides in the garden
• Protect Water

How to Celebrate Earth Day?

There is a tonne of events you can participate in to commemorate this significant occasion, not just on Earth but also in space! The Earth Day website makes it possible for people all over the world to discover and share celebrations of the day, including speeches and movie screenings as well as cleanups and conservation initiatives. This means that Earth Day enthusiasts can participate in events nearby or all over the world! And NASA frequently organizes events from the International Space Station, such as live streaming a picture of our lovely planet for everyone to see.

Learning about how your actions affect the environment and why preserving the earth’s ecosystems is important for our survival is another fantastic way to observe Earth Day. There are a plethora of online resources available, including articles, quizzes, documentaries, and much more, to assist us in learning more about our precious planet and the part we can each play in its preservation. If you can, please consider making a donation to the Union of Concerned Scientists, Greenpeace, the Rainforest Alliance, or the official Earth Day. 

Your support will assist in a wide range of campaigns and initiatives, such as pressuring businesses and governments to adopt more environmentally friendly policies, stopping harmful activities like deforestation and the extraction of fossil fuels, and defending the groups of people most at risk from the effects of climate change. You could also give back to your community by volunteering for regional environmental organizations. Above all, this celebration ought to become a regular practice rather than just a one-day event! Even the most minor changes to our way of life can have a significant impact. Use an environmentally friendly search engine, purchase products from the store that isn’t plastic-wrapped, and put on an extra jumper rather than turn on the heating.

There are many more things you can do to live in a greener, more sustainable way if you’re serious about protecting the environment, such as powering your home with renewable energy, cycling and walking more, driving less (or purchasing an electric vehicle), consuming less meat and seafood, recycling your waste, planting wildflowers in your garden for the bees and butterflies, and making sure your financial investments, such as your pension fund, are supporting green initiatives. Share information about National Earth Day on social media and explain to your friends and family why you think it is so important to protect the environment.

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