Every year, Earth Day is observed on April 22 in a bid to raise awareness about environmental issues affecting the planet, such as pollution, deforestation and global warming. As such, on this day, Earthday.org coordinates a wide range of events including millions of people across the globe.
This year, the theme of the day is ‘Invest in Our Planet’ with an aim “to preserve and protect our health, our families, and our livelihoods”. It includes five primary programs – The Great Global Cleanup, Sustainable Fashion, Climate and Environmental Literacy, Canopy Project, Food and Environment, and the Global Earth Challenge.
In 2020 and 2021, the themes were ‘Climate Change’ and ‘Restore our Earth’ respectively.
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History
In 1969, peace activist John McConnell proposed a day to honour the planet at a UNESCO conference held in San Franciso. This was first observed on March 21, 1970. A month later, United States Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed the idea to hold a nationwide environmental teach-in on April 22, 1970. Along with activist Denis Hayes, Nelson renamed the event ‘Earth Day‘, going beyond the idea of a teach-in to include the United States.
It is reported that over 20 million people poured out on the streets on the first Earth Day, making it the largest single-day protest in human history.
While initially the day was observed in the United States alone, Hayes took it international in 1990 and organised events in 141 nations. In 2020, Earth Day was observed by over 100 million as part of the 50th-anniversary celebrations, making it the largest online mass mobilisation in history.
Significance
The day holds great importance as pressing issues like rising pollution and climate change continue to deplete the planet. As such, Earth Day engages people in meaningful conversations concerning the protection of the planet.
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Additionally, it also educates people, especially, the young minds about the various climate issues and the actions required to undo the damage.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to mark the occasion. “#EarthDay is about expressing gratitude to Mother Earth for her kindness and reiterating our commitment to care for our planet,” he wrote.
#EarthDay is about expressing gratitude to Mother Earth for her kindness and reiterating our commitment to care for our planet. pic.twitter.com/wVeQ6qmLm2
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 22, 2022
“We need to take urgent steps to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and to adopt renewable sources of energy such as those that rely on the wind and the power of the sun. We must pay attention to deforestation and protect the environment better,” Dalai Lama said, in his special message for Earth Day 2022.
HHDL’s Message for Earth Day 2022 https://t.co/5Ux2b9JweP
— Dalai Lama (@DalaiLama) April 22, 2022
“It is our duty to preserve the beauty of nature on our planet for our future generations. For a green Earth, conserve every drop of water,” the Ministry of Jal Shakti tweeted.
Our ancestors have bestowed upon us the gift of a safe and healthy environment on the Earth. It is our duty to preserve the beauty of nature on our planet for our future generations.
For a green Earth, conserve every drop of water. #WorldEarthDay pic.twitter.com/5Mc096ux2W— Ministry of Jal Shakti 🇮🇳 #AmritMahotsav (@MoJSDoWRRDGR) April 22, 2022
The Ministry of Railways wrote, “Let’s pledge to keep our planet healthy and liveable.”
Lets celebrate #EarthDay 22nd April as responsible citizens of this planet.
Let’s pledge to keep our planet healthy and liveable. pic.twitter.com/3ory5iBYTX— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) April 22, 2022
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