What is Earth Day? 

Earth Day is an annual event that dates back to the year 1970.  This first Earth Day was actually celebrated on 21^st March 1970 and on 22^nd April 1970, peace activist John McConnell and Senator Gaylord Nelson organised national teach ins on college campuses around the USA to raise public awareness of environmental issues such as air and water pollution, effects of pesticides, as a way of reminding people of their collective responsibility to preserve the Earth´s resources.

Following on from the first celebration of Earth Day, environmental laws were passed such as Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, The Endangered Species Act and so on.  Later, The Environmental Protection agency was formed.  By 1990, the Earth Day celebrations went global involving over 200 million people in over 140 countries and by 2016 the US and 120 other countries had signed the Paris Agreement, an international treaty on climate change to limit global warming. 

During the pre COVID years, Earth Day events included river clean-ups, planting trees, conserving energy, stopping the use of pesticides and chemicals in the garden, and the list goes on.  Since COVID, Earth Day has gone digital with virtual summits consisting of speeches and discussions from climate activists such as Greta Thunberberg.

The responsibility does not just rest on the hands of global leaders, but on all of us.  Small actions can have a large impact.  Clearing up plastic from your neighbourhood could mean it does not end up in our oceans.  Imagine the impact if everyone did the same.  The point of Earth Day is to raise awareness of the global threat this world faces and together we can make a difference.   

So, let´s celebrate Earth Day!

Wot Ya Got in you to protect our planet

The post Earth Day 22nd April 2021 appeared first on Wot Ya Got.