The Origins of Earth Day

Every April there’s one day when we all try to come together for a greater good. No, it’s not Tax Day — it’s Earth Day on April 22nd. While most people know about Earth Day and its environmental significance, few of us know how Earth Day got started!

In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, there was growing concern over the state of the environment. Most notably seen across college campuses and grassroots organizations, this environmental focus also grew in importance within the political sphere. In 1969, Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson suggested a demonstration to help gain attention for environmental causes. A year later on April 22nd, the first official Earth Day was held with over 20 million people participating — a giant step for the modern environmental movement!

Since the inception of Earth Day, the holiday has become an international effort to improve environmental sustainability from air quality and global warming to wildlife protection and recycling efforts. In 1992, the United Nations recognized the growing need to maintain environmental health with an Earth Summit in Rio de Jainero.

While Earth Day has changed a great deal from its original demonstration-based format, the goal remains the same. Now, there’s a greater emphasis on clean energy and the reduction of global warming, but one fact is undeniable: Earth Day is growing in importance across the world. Nearly a billion people across the world participated in last year’s Earth Day activities.

In addition to focusing on a very real and pressing issue, Earth Day also brings people of different cultures, nationalities, religions, and races together to strive for a common goal. Celebrated in over 175 countries, Earth Day is considered “the largest secular holiday in the world, celebrated by more than a half billion people every year,” according to Earth Day Network. This year, become a part of this exciting and important holiday — and spread the word to your friends and family!

What You Can Do:
There are tons of ways you can celebrate Earth Day by yourself or with friends and family! Some of the things you can do to help the environment are:

•Plant a tree: Help keep the planet green one tree at a time! Trees help absorb carbon dioxide, thereby reducing your carbon footprint. For more information on planting, tree care, and what trees are best for your area and the environment, please visit the Arbor Day Foundation (http://www.arborday.org/).

•Make your home Earth friendly: While so many environmental efforts focus on the outdoors, there are an endless number of ways you can make your home more “green.” From compact florescent light bulbs and Energystar appliances (http://www.energystar.gov/) to organic, locally grown foods and natural pest control (http://www.ecosmart.com/), there are a growing number of products to help you keep your home Earth friendly. Visit www.healthychild.org for simple ways to keep your home healthy for your family and the planet.

•Donate to a worthy environmental cause: You don’t have to get down and dirty if you don’t want to; donations to well respected environmental organizations ensure that you’re helping the causes you find important. And don’t forget — sometimes these groups need the items you just have gathering dust in your garage! Visit www.charitynavigator.org or similar sites to find a reputable organization.

•Walk, bike, or carpool to reduce emissions: Sometimes, it’s the changes you make in your daily life that will have the greatest impact on the environment. Do something good for your health and the planet by walking or biking to work or to run errands. If you live too far away, consider carpooling or taking public transportation.

•Start a recycling program in your community: If your community doesn’t already have the resources for recycling, you can always take your items to a recycling center. However, if you make the extra effort to create a convenient recycling solution within your neighborhood, more people are likely to recycle as well. At http://earth911.org/recycling/ you can find what items can be recycled as well as how and where to recycle them.

•Know your carbon footprint: How do you measure up in terms of the amount of Carbon Dioxide you and your family produce? See where you stand compared to the national average by calculating your personal contribution to global warming at www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/carboncalculator/. You might be surprised enough to adopt cleaner forms of energy.