By Finnur Ricart and Ana Sofia Reyna, Y13
Earth Day: a celebration and encouragement to take care of our planet together.
When was the first Earth Day?
Earth Day has been held on the 22nd of April every year since 1970. That means this year, 2020, marks the 50th anniversary! It started as a movement in the United States calling for action to protect our planet but participants quickly grew from 20 million Americans (around 10% of the US population at the time) to 200 million people all around the world in 1990.
What is the point of Earth Day?
The day was founded by Denis Hayes, a young environmentalist at the time, as a means to raise awareness of the harm we are doing to our planet. It should be used as a tool to inspire humanity to be more environmentally conscious, and address their individual responsibility to nature, as well as the rest of the world.
On multiple occasions, Earth day has inspired multiple groups of people to fight against air and water pollution, toxic dumps, the extinction of wildlife, and the many other negative impacts our society has on the planet; Earth Day is an encouragement to stand up for the Earth and care for our environment.
What makes this year’s Earth Day special?
Being the 50th anniversary, this year’s goals are ambitious. Due to current circumstances regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, most efforts will take place online (social media). This year’s theme is climate change. The goal is to mobilize 1 BILLION PEOPLE world-wide in sharing their story and take action towards protecting our climate. We want to recognize and raise awareness on the importance of both individual and political action in solving the climate crisis. As individuals, we have the incredible power to choose who we vote for, how we get around, and what we eat. Not only that, but we also have the power to put pressure on political leaders to demand action on a national and international scale.
How can you participate in Earth Day 2020, despite the current circumstances?
Everyone can take part in Earth Day to give our planet a voice. Yes, that means YOU can get involved! Here is how:
- Watch the video made by the Eco-Committee and share it on social media.
- Let your followers know the actions you are taking to limit your environmental footprint.
- Challenge your friends to do an environmentally friendly action for a week.
Individual action goes a long way in combating the climate crisis. Many small actions add up to one big change. For more information, check out the Earth Day website. Happy Earth Day 2020!
– Every day is Earth Day –
