In Service of Our Planet Earth
Earth Day is an extraordinary event. It combines the functions of educator, movement builder and the largest public service project in the world. More than one billion people from almost every single country on earth will take an action in service to our planet.
About The Day
The idea came to Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, after he witnessed the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. He was inspired by the student anti-war movement and he felt that if he could bring air and water pollution into public consciousness and create a similar movement, it would force environmental protection onto the national political agenda. Senator Nelson announced the idea for a “national teach-in on the environment” to the national media; persuaded Pete McCloskey, a conservation-minded Republican Congressman, to serve as his co-chair; and recruited Denis Hayes as national coordinator. Hayes built a national staff of 85 to promote events across the land.
As a result, on the 22nd of April, 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife came together and realized they shared common agenda and objectives
The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts.
http://www.earthday.org/earth-day-history-movement
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Earth Day 2018 Theme: End Plastic Pollution
From poisoning and injuring marine life to disrupting human hormones, from littering our beaches and landscapes to clogging our waste streams and landfills, the exponential growth of plastics is now threatening the survival of our planet.
In response, Earth Day 2018 is dedicated to providing the information and
inspiration needed to fundamentally change human attitude and behavior about plastics.
Choose an option below to take action to End Plastic Pollution on Earth Day and beyond!
Earth Day Network’s Canopy Project
In just one year, a mature leafy tree produces as much oxygen as 10 people inhale!
Earth Day Network’s Canopy Project works worldwide to strengthen communities through tree planting. Using agroforestry, sapling distribution and tree care training, we empower organizations and citizens to conserve, repair, and restore tree cover to their lands. Earth Day Network targets areas of the world most in need of reforestation, including some of the world’s poorest communities; and land degraded by logging, fires, floods, hurricanes and earthquakes. Our projects also focus on environmentally critical areas such the Amazon rainforest and the Boreal Forest.
Trees provide food, energy and income, helping communities achieve long-term economic and environmental sustainability. Trees also filter the air and help reverse the impacts of climate change. In just one year, a mature leafy tree produces as much oxygen as 10 people inhale!
Since 2010, Earth Day Network has planted tens of millions of trees. Our goal for the 50 anniversary of Earth Day in 2020 is to plant 7.8 billion trees, one for every person on earth.
You can help support the Canopy Project by donating to our $1 per tree program. Each dollar you donate supports the planting of one tree.
Planting trees strengthens local economies. Every dollar spent on reforestation generates $2.50 in local downstream income and benefits. That’s huge impact for every dollar you donate!
https://www.earthday.org/campaigns/reforestation/
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Earth Day 2013
Theme: The Face of Climate Change
http://www.earthday.org/2013/
2013 - Billion Acts of Green Completed - Highlights
http://act.earthday.org/highlights.html
1. Interesting ideas - Arranging tailors for free stiching of cloth bags from old garments etc.
2. Backseat buddies - more children travelling in one car while going in a car to catch their school bus.
Ideas for common people - Pledge to use only public transport on the Earth Day.
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Earth Day 2012 Theme Mobilize the Earth
A Billion Acts of Green
http://www.earthday.org/earthday2012
Updated 5 April 2018, 21 April 2013
