Today, April 22, is Earth Day. What does that mean exactly? It means a lot of things but most importantly, Earth Day is a day to celebrate and honor our planet Earth. To do something, no matter how big or small, to conserve, protect, or preserve our planet to thrive on for many, many years.
A few quick facts about Earth Day:
- The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970 where 20 million people gathered in the streets of America to protest the Industrial Revolution.
- In 2009, the United Nations renamed Earth Day, International Mother Earth Day
- Senator Gaylord Nelson founded Earth Day in the United States. In recognition of his hard work, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award.
- More than 100 thousand people in China rode their bikes on Earth Day 2012. They did this to save fuel and to reduce the CO2 emissions from vehicles.
- More than 1 billion people were celebrating Earth Day by 2010, which was Earth Day’s 40th anniversary. More than 180 countries celebrated, and Facebook has become a popular tool to spread the word.
- Earth Day is meant to show support for protecting the environment
A few quick reasons why this day is so important:
- More than 100 billion pieces of junk mail are delivered in the United States each year.
- Half the world’s tropical and temperate forests are now gone.
- More than 2 million people globally die prematurely every year due to outdoor and indoor air pollution.
- Every year in the U.S. nearly 200 billion beverage containers are sold, two-thirds of which are land-filled, incinerated or littered.
- There is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today than at any point in the last 800,000 years.
Be sure to do your part today, and every day, to help preserve our planet for our children and their future.
Toni 🙂
Maybe we should treat every day like earth day! 🙂 Or maybe that’s the point…
I didn’t realize Earth Day was celebrated all across the Earth. Thank you for reminding us about the importance of taking care of this planet we all call home.