- What is Earth Day?
- Origin of Earth Day
- Why is Earth Day important?
- Ideas to celebrate Earth Day
- Earth Anthem
- Other related ephemeris
We explain what Earth Day is, why it is celebrated and what its origin is. In addition, the anthem of the Earth and other ephemeris.
What is Earth Day?
International Mother Earth Day or simply Earth Day is an international event celebrated on April 22 of each year that pays tribute to our planet, as a reminder that it is the only one we have and that no ambition or project can be more important than the sustainability of the global biosphere. It should not be confused with other similar celebrations such as the World Day of the Nature, for instance.
The celebration of this day is part of the initiatives aimed at creating awareness regarding the impact that the industrial lifestyle and human overpopulation have on the ecosystem usually. An awareness that becomes more urgent every day, facing the climate changes that the sustained human industrial activity has caused during the last two centuries, that is to say, the so-called global warming and/or climate change.
Origin of Earth Day
International Mother Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970, thanks to the efforts of US Senator Gaylord Nelson. This proposal, however, was the heir to efforts to draw the attention of the general public to the effects of pollution on the Health that had been done for at least 15 years, with educational initiatives such as the Northwestern University Survival Project.
Two thousand universities and ten thousand schools from all over the United States attended the first call for this International Day, whose purpose was to request the formation of a national ecology agency: 20 million people in total. The pressure on the US government was so great that in the immediate future the Environmental Protection Agency was created (Environmental Protection Agency). Thus was born the National Meeting on the Environment (National Environment Teach-In) that ended up being commemorated every April 22.
This event set an important precedent in the environmental struggle and, when the Stockholm Earth Summit was created two years later, it acquired a meaning beyond the national borders of the United States, so that it soon began to be held in different countries of the world. Today, it is celebrated in 180 different countries each year.
Why is Earth Day important?
The importance of this and other celebrations of the environmental calendar has to do with raising awareness and educating the population regarding the consequences it has on the environment. environment the population growth and industrial activity without controls. pollution, loss of biodiversity, climatic instability and the expansion of deserts These are just some of the worrying effects that our lifestyle has on the planet.
The celebration of International Mother Earth Day aspires not only to make environmental problems visible, but also to contribute to the creation of an international community in defense of the environment, in order to exert pressure at the local and regional level on governments, Business Y International organizations as far as conservationism and defense of the environment is concerned.
Ideas to celebrate Earth Day
Some ideas to celebrate Earth Day are:
- Hold informative conferences on environmental and conservation issues.
- Organize public planting days for trees and plants.
- Make local marches to demand responsible ecological policies.
- Educate neighbors on separation from trash Y recycling.
- Be part of environmental fairs and calls for volunteering.
- Check our homes for water leaks and energy waste, and fix them.
- Organize a collection for a community environmental library.
- Do not use combustion vehicles throughout the day unless it is an emergency.
- Educate future generations in matters of environmental responsibility.
Earth Anthem
The hymn of the Earth is a song that pays homage to planet Earth, its diverse ecosystems and the organic richness of its living creatures, encompassing flora, fauna and human beings.
Although there are several songs or melodies that could meet this requirement, the most important was the one written and composed by the poet W. H. Auden and the musician Pau Casals, respectively, at the request of the then Secretary General of the United Nations (UN). , the Burmese U Thant (1909-1974), in 1971. The idea was that this anthem would end up representing the UN in its entirety and celebrating the fraternal encounter between the nations and its inhabitants.
Other related ephemeris
In addition to Earth Day, other important environmental events are:
- The World Day of Environmental education, celebrated on January 26.
- The World Day of Action against Global Warming, celebrated on January 28.
- World Wildlife Day, celebrated on March 3.
- The World Day of responsible consumption, celebrated on March 15.
- World Recycling Day, celebrated on May 17.
- The World Day of oceans, celebrated on June 8.
- Arbor Day, celebrated on August 29.