We explain what Earth Day is, why it is celebrated and what its origin is. Also, the Earth anthem and other anniversaries.
What is Earth Day?
International Mother Earth Day or simply Earth Day is an international event celebrated on April 22 of each year that pays tribute to our planet, as a reminder that it is the only one we have and that no ambition or project can be more important than the sustainability of the global biosphere. It should not be confused with other similar celebrations such as World Nature Day, for example.
The celebration of this day is part of the initiatives aimed at raising awareness regarding the impact that the industrial lifestyle and human overpopulation have on the ecosystem in general. An awareness that becomes more urgent every day, in the face of the climatic changes that sustained human industrial activity has caused during the last two centuries, that is, the so-called global warming and/or climate change. You must read about Harvesting once.
Origin of Earth Day
International Mother Earth Day was celebrated for the first time in 1970, thanks to the efforts of the American senator Gaylord Nelson. This proposal, however, was the heir to the efforts to draw the attention of the general public to the effects of pollution on human health that had been carried out for at least 15 years, with educational initiatives such as the Survival Project of Northwestern University.
The first meeting of this International Day, which was intended to call for the creation of a national environmental agency, was attended by two thousand universities and ten thousand schools from all over the United States: 20 million people in total. The pressure on the American government was so great that the Environmental Protection Agency was created in the near future. Thus the National Environment Teach-In was born, which ended up being commemorated every April 22.
This event set an important precedent in the environmental struggle and, when the Stockholm Earth Summit was created two years later, it acquired a significance beyond the national borders of the United States, so it soon began to be celebrated in different countries around the world. Today, it is celebrated in 180 different countries every year.
Why is Earth Day important?
The importance of this and other celebrations on the environmental calendar has to do with raising awareness and educating the population about the consequences that population growth and uncontrolled industrial activity have on the environment. Pollution, loss of biodiversity, climate instability and the expansion of deserts are just some of the worrying effects that our lifestyle has on the planet.
The celebration of International Mother Earth Day aims not only to make environmental problems visible, but also to contribute to the creation of an international community in defense of the environment, in order to exert pressure at the local and regional level on governments, companies and international organizations in terms of conservation and environmental protection. Maybe you should definitely read about Logbook once.
Ideas to celebrate Earth Day
Some ideas to celebrate Earth Day are:
- Holding informative conferences on environmental and conservation issues.
- Organizing public days of planting trees and plants.
- Organize local marches to demand responsible ecological policies.
- Educate neighbors on garbage separation and recycling.
- Participate in environmental fairs and calls for volunteers.
- Check our homes for water leaks and energy waste, and fix them.
- Organize a collection for a community environmental library.
- Do not use combustion vehicles all day unless it is an emergency.
- Educate future generations on matters of environmental responsibility.
Earth Anthem
The Earth Anthem is a song that pays tribute to planet Earth, its diverse ecosystems and the organic wealth of its living beings, encompassing flora, fauna and human beings.
Although there are several songs or melodies that could meet this requirement, the most important one was the one written and composed by the poet W. H. Auden and the musician Pau Casals, respectively, at the request of the then Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), the Burmese U Thant (1909-1974), in 1971. The idea was that this anthem would end up representing the UN in its entirety and celebrating the fraternal encounter between nations and their inhabitants.
Other related anniversaries
In addition to Earth Day, other important environmental anniversaries are:
- World Environmental Education Day, celebrated on January 26.
- World Day of Action against Global Warming, celebrated on January 28.
- World Wildlife Day, celebrated on March 3.
- World Responsible Consumption Day, celebrated on March 15.
- World Recycling Day, celebrated on May 17.
- World Oceans Day, celebrated on June 8.
- Arbor Day, celebrated on August 29.
