Every April 22nd we celebrate the largest civic event of the year, Earth Day. Earth Day is a holiday which celebrates the importance of caring for the planet and preserving and protecting the Earth’s natural resources for future generations to utilize. Many countries participate in this holiday outside the United States

History of Earth Day

The origins of Earth days first began through the thoughts of the Senator of Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson. He had long been concerned about the deterioration of the environment. In 1969, Nelson and many others witnessed firsthand a massive oil spill that occurred in California’s, Santa Barbara. Afterwards, he gave a speech against the Vietnam War in which he had the idea to have a nationwide teach-in on the environment. In order to carry out the teach in on college campuses, Nelson had Pete McCloskey serve as his co chair and Denis Hayes organized the campus teach ins. The date of April 22nd was chosen, because they believed that more students would come and participate because it fell between Spring Break and Final exams. The first Earth Day, celebrated in 1970,  inspired 10% of Americans (20,000,000 at the time) to demonstrate against the harsh effects of industrial development. Towards the end of 1970 the United States Environmental Protection Agency was established through then-president Richard Nixon.

Impacts of Earth Day

The establishment of Earth Day led to the passage of many environmental laws such as the Clean Air, which regulated air emission from both stationary and mobile sources, the Clean Water and Endangered Species Act, which regulated the pollution in U.S. water bodies. The United States also passed the Paris Climate Act on Earth Day, 2016, with many other countries. Earth Day has also led to many more educational programs, workshops, and community activities being established.

Ways to get involved on Earth Day!

For this upcoming Earth Day, and many more we should all take the necessary steps to work towards preserving our planet. We can do this a variety of ways such as joining community cleanups (this also helps promote sustainability), planting trees, and participating in advocating for change. You can also reuse items more frequently such as shopping bags and clothes. For clothes, opt for items that are sustainable and will reduce your environmental footprint and wont leave a negative affect on the environment.