Why Today Is Earth Day?

The first Earth Day was in April 1970. About one billion people celebrated across 193 countries. The day’s goal was to encourage governments, companies, and individuals to support a healthy environment. Even early in the cycle of Earth Days, people were concerned about issues such as global warming and the spread of plastics into the environment. 

Among the things that triggered the first Earth Day was a massive oil spill off Santa Barbara on January 28, 1969. A damaged oil drilling platform leaked about three billion gallons of oil, covering 800 square miles.

Trees And Seeds

The early Earth Days involved planting trees and tree seeds. A second early practice was teaching environmental studies in schools. One of America’s largest unions helped support the day’s early establishment. According to Earth Day’s first national coordinator, Denis Hayes, “Without the UAW, the first Earth Day would have likely flopped!” Other unions joined with support in subsequent years. 

One of the earliest actions taken by Earth Day organizers was an attempt to remove 12 members of Congress who supported fossil fuel companies from office. The movement helped defeat seven of these. Earth Day began receiving financial and coordinated support from the organization that held the Earth Day 20 Foundation and Earth Day 1990. .

One of the keys to the success of Earth Day was the organization of students on campuses, This also included organized teaching about enviromental problems and solutions,

Larger Networks

Earth Day Network was launched in the 2010s. Its goal was to increase climate literacy by the end of the decade. Despite the spread of the COVID-19 virus, on Earth Day 2020, over 100 million people took action in 192 countries to honor Earth Day’s 50th Anniversary, according to an Earth Day history. 

More recently, Earth Day organizers have become more practical. They have asked people to ride bikes, buy reusable plastic bottles, and buy food from local farmers. 

According to Earth.org, “Our world needs transformational change for this year’s goal. It’s time for the world to hold sectors accountable for their role in our environmental crisis while calling for bold, creative, and innovative solutions. This will require action at all levels, from business and investment to city and national government.”

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