Why April 22 is celebrated as Earth Day?

The Earth Day, celebrated on22 April to build support for environmental protection around the world and more than192 countries with festivals, rallies and environmental activities.

Where did Earth Day come from?

In1969, at the height of the hippie culture in the United States, peace activist John McConnell proposed a day to celebrate the Earth and the environment at a Unesco Conference in San Francisco. To be celebrated on21 March1970, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere, the day would build on the emerging consciousness of environmental concerns.

After being sanctioned in a Proclamation written by McConnell and signed by Secretary General U Thant at the United Nations, a separate Earth Day was founded by UN Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in on22 April1970. Nelson was later awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award in recognition of his work.

While this Earth Day was focused in the United States, it became an international celebration in1990 with the non-profit Earth Day Network, chaired by the first Earth Day1970 organiser Denis Hayes.

Various communities around the world celebrate Earth Week, seven days of activities focused on environmental issues. It is now "the largest secular holiday in the world" to change human behaviour for the better and promote policy change.

Why do we need to support Earth Day?

There are various reasons why we need to participate in environmental protection, but here are10 facts about climate change that show why we need to support Earth Day:

1. The current global warming trend is of particular significance because the majority of it is most likely to be caused by humans. It is proceeding at a rate that is unprecedented in the past1,300 years.
2. Climate change causes coastal flooding and displacement of people. Floods also help spread deadly diseases by transmitting infection and vector-borne diseases.
3. The world's average surface temperature has increased by around0.6 degrees Celsius over last100 years.
4. The Golden Toad is the first species to go extinct due to climate change.
5. Climate change enhances the spread of pests that causes life-threatening diseases such as malaria, Lyme disease and dengue.
6. Climate change could push food prices up by50% to60% by2030, according to a recent report by Oxfam.
7. Scientists predicted that due to ongoing activities contributing to global warming, the average global temperature could increase between1.4 and6 degrees Celsius in the21st century.
8. The United States constitutes5% of the world population and contributes to22% of world's carbon emission.
9. Hurricanes and droughts are some of the natural disasters caused by climate change.
10. More than600,000 deaths occur worldwide every year due to climate change, and95% of deaths take place in developing countries.

Earth Day is one of two different observances, both held annually during spring in the northern hemisphere, and autumn in the southern hemisphere. These are intended to inspire awareness of and appreciation for the Earth's environment. They should have earth day everyday!

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Earth Day is an annual event, celebrated on April22, on which day events worldwide are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. It was first celebrated in1970, and is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network, and celebrated in more than192 countries each year.

Earth Day is to remind us of saving our environment for generations to come..

Many people plant trees or clean up in their communities.

This is an annual event, celebrated on April22nd; this event is held worldwide to demonstrate support for environmental protection.

"In1970, a senator from Wisconsin, USA, Gaylord Nelson first conceived of this day. The senator was worried about the rate of industrialization and the careless attitude of everyone towards our environment. It was envisaged to promote the idea of ecology, to encourage respect for life on Earth, and highlight growing concerns about different kinds of pollution. Over20 million Americans participated in events to mark the first Earth Day and it turned out to be so contagious that today, over a billion people from all over the globe celebrate Earth Day. "

The Sun with its family of eight planets – now that the distant ice-covered Pluto is no more a ‘planet’–make our galaxy, the Milky Way; but of all the planets the Earth turned out to be the luckiest. This is because it is the only planet where life became possible, at least far as our knowledge goes. Life in its most beautiful forms developed here, be it humans, animals, plants or marine life. The one thing that made Earth unique was the presence of a superb form of intelligent life called the human race. But somewhere on the way the human race lost its humanity, forgot to acknowledge the planet that gave it life; and used its resources ruthlessly. The world now marks the Earth Day to make the human race realise the importance of the Mother Earth.

Earth Day is celebrated every year on the22nd of April. In1970, a senator from Wisconsin, USA, Gaylord Nelson first conceived of this day. The senator was worried about the rate of industrialisation and the careless attitude of everyone towards our environment. It was envisaged to promote the idea of ecology, to encourage respect for life on Earth, and highlight growing concerns about different kinds of pollution. Over20 million Americans participated in events to mark the first Earth Day and it turned out to be so contagious that today, over a billion people from all over the globe celebrate Earth Day. But, the question arises as to why we celebrate Earth Day? It’s because we seem to have forgotten what a beautiful gift we have been given in the form of planet Earth. We also seem to have forgotten that this is our home and we need to keep it in order to stay healthy and alive. Over the centuries we have mercilessly utilized and depleted the Earth’s resources. Our sheer ignorance has begun to cause severe problems like depletion of the Ozone layer, death of rivers due to dumping of industrial waste, global warming etc. In our quest for industrialization heavy amount of deforestation took place. This has harmed the Earth’s environment. The ice at the Poles has started to melt due to the rise in Earth’s temperature. This is an ominous sign of what is to come. We have dug quite a huge pit for ourselves already, but we can still get out of it. So, days like the Earth Day remind us to be caring and loving to the Earth.

We must realize the danger and start taking small steps like planting trees, limiting the use of vehicles thereby reducing pollution, switching off lights when unnecessary and also conserving petrol. These might be small steps but when a billion people do it together, one can definitely see the results. One very good example is the introduction of CNG vehicles in New Delhi. These vehicles have considerably reduced the amount of pollution in Delhi’s atmosphere. On the same side people should see what we have done to the mighty river Yamuna. Years of dumping of industrial waste has turned the river into a nullah. While people can start ushering in changes with small steps, the governments and politicians will have to take giant leaps to save the mankind. Stringent laws and rules have to be made, to make people realize the importance of protecting the nature. Every nation, developed or not, has to cut down on carbon emissions to reduce the effects of global warming. If not contained, global warming will make the ice-caps at the Poles to melt and raise sea levels. It can be so devastating that it will wipe us out. We can’t be consumed by petty differences anymore. It is our fight to save the mankind from annihilation. But if we decide to do nothing and let things be as they are, it could just be worse. Earth might just decide to take revenge. The wrath of the planet would be even more furious. Many times we have seen it happen right in front of our eyes. What else are cyclones, flash floods, sudden fires in forests of Australia, tsunamis, earthquakes? Yes, they are revenge of the Earth. And a small revenge by Earth takes a huge toll on mankind. A major climatic shift happens only when we play around with our environment. The natural resources are depleting fast. It is acceptable that we need petrol, but that is something the Earth is not refusing. It only wants us to use it judiciously. We, human beings, are so caught up in our day-to-day life that we don’t have time to stand and think about the planet we live on. Don’t worry, the feeling could be mutual and dangerous for us. The Earth will find some way to survive, with us if we love and respect it, or without us. So, it’s we who stand to lose. So on this Earth Day, let us pledge to do take whatever little we can to do to help the planet. Perhaps we can avoid using our car on this day and save petrol and free the atmosphere of some pollution. May be we could recycle the papers and stop using plastic bags. It could be anything, but it will definitely go a long way in saving the mankind. Countries, on the Earth Day, should pledge to reduce the carbon footprints.