essay on earth day 2023

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Happy Earth Day 2023: Best Speech And Essay Ideas For Students And Teachers For This Special Occasion

Happy Earth Day 2023: It is important to take care of our planet and take vital steps to do so. Earth Day is a major event that marks the opportunity to spread awareness about environmental problems. Scroll down to know more.

• By Prerna Targhotra
• Updated: Sat, 22 Apr 2023 08:41 AM (IST)
• Source: JND
• Google News

Earth Day 2023: Speech Tips

Earth day 2023: speech idea, earth day 2023: essay tips, earth day 2023: essay idea, more in news.

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ENCYCLOPEDIC ENTRY

Earth Day is an annual celebration that honors the achievements of the environmental movement and raises awareness of the need to protect Earth’s natural resources for future generations. Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 in the United States and on either April 22 or the day the spring equinox occurs throughout the rest of the world.

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• National Geographic Education: Introduction to Earth Day

Earth Day is an annual celebration that honors the achievements of the environmental movement and raises awareness of the need to protect Earths natural resources for future generations . Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 in the United States and on either April 22 or the day the spring equinox occurs throughout the rest of the world. Environmental activism during the 1960s inspired Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson to create a national celebration uniting the environmental movement. With the help of Denis Hayes, a graduate student at Harvard University, Nelson organized the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, educating participants in the importance of environmental conservation . Attended by 20 million people across the United States, the event strengthened support for legislation such as the Clean Air Act (updated in 1970) and the Endangered Species Act (1973). In 1990, Hayes organized a global Earth Day, with more than 200 million participants in more than 140 countries. Earth Day now brings together citizens and activists from around the world to raise awareness and take action regarding such environmental concerns as global warming and renewable energy . Today, the Earth Day Network (EDN) , which brings together more than 20,000 partners and organizations in 190 countries, supports the Earth Day mission year-round. This mission is founded on the premise that all people, regardless of race , gender , income , or geography , have a moral right to a healthy, sustainable environment. The Earth Day Network pursues this mission through education, public policy , and activism campaigns. These campaigns bring together more than one billion participants every year, making it one of the largest public, secular events in the world. The Earth Day Network pursues a set of core goals:

• Broaden the meaning of environment to include issues such as climate change , green schools and environmental curricula, green jobs , and renewable energy ;
• Diversify the movement by providing civic engagement opportunities at the local, state, national and global levels around the world. Recognizing that climate change impacts our most vulnerable citizens first and most severely, EDN often works with low-income communities to bring their voices and issues into the movement.
• Mobilize communities by working with partner organizations to provide opportunities for all citizens to become active in the environmental movement.

Earth Days Core Issues This set of goals underlines Earth Day events and actions around the world, which can be organized into ten core issues. Advocacy : Supporters encourage individuals and organizations to meet with elected officials to discuss environmental issues. The online program "Million Acts of Green," for instance, encourages visitors to adopt lifestyle changes such as composting, reducing your carbon footprint, or recycling e-waste.

Climate Change : Supporters raise awareness about climate change , human contribution to those changes, and opportunities to slow the phenomenon . Many Earth Day supporters, for instance, encourage citizens to support the landmark Paris Climate agreement, set to be signed on Earth Day 2016.

Conservation & Biology : Supporters work to conserve the world's biodiversity . On Earth Day 2010, for instance, participants in Sri Lanka planted more than 100 medicinal plants throughout the tropical rain forest at Yagirala Forest Reserve. These plants can be used by local populations and will create habitats for different organisms, enhancing the biodiversity of the island nation. Education : Earth Day education programs provide educators, students, and the general public with resources and solutions to create a healthier, more sustainable planet. On Earth Day 2010, for instance, teachers and students in the Compostela Valley region of the Philippines participated in a day-long conference. At the conference, they learned about tree planting and care, participated in nature hikes, and presented their environmental action projects to the community. Energy : Advocates support projects that develop renewable energy sources and technologies as means of transitioning off of nonrenewable sources, such as coal and oil . Citizens of Qatar, for example, are invited to switch off their power for one hour on Earth Day in a symbolic stance against human contributions to global warming. Food & Agriculture : Supporters raise awareness about some farming practices, such as the use of chemical pesticides , which contribute to environmental degradation . Supporters also advocate for a greater support of organic , local, and sustainable agricultural techniques. Member organizations of this issue group include Articultores , based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which raises awareness about urban gardening and brings citizens and youth together to plant in abandoned sites in cities. Green Economy : Supporters advocate for the creation of green industries and jobs that are connected to renewable energy sources. For example, the Students in Free Enterprise group in Saskatchewan, Canada, sponsors a prize for student projects that make best use of recycled materials. Green Schools : The Earth Day Network sponsors the National GREEN Schools Campaign. The GREEN Schools Campaign includes a focus on healthy school lunches, environmental classroom activities, outreach to local and national leaders, and an emphasis on sustainable building techniques. Recycling & Waste Reduction : Supporters work to reduce the amount of waste that people produce, and increase the amount that we recycle and reuse. The Beach Bunch group of Brunei, for example, organizes beach-cleaning campaigns. Sustainable Development : Supporters promote environmental practices that respect biodiversity and the natural world. Costa Rica, for instance, has implemented the Viaje Limpio program, in which individuals and companies pay a fee for the greenhouse gases they produce through travel. This money goes to protect the rainforest, water resources, and biodiversity of Costa Rica. Viaje Limpio helps the Costa Rican economy, because biodiversity and the rain forest are important natural assets that bring thousands of tourists to the country every year. In only 40 years, Earth Day has evolved from a single day celebrating the environmental movement in the United States to a global network that empowers more than a billion people to better understand, protect, and improve the environment.

Why April 22? Earth Day falls on April 22. The day was chosen by the original event's organizer, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson (for the state of Wisconsin), for simple reasons. Earth Day was an event focused on college students, and April 22 did not interfere with Spring Break, final exams, major religious holidays such as Easter, and was late enough in spring to anticipate decent weather for outdoor activities.

Margaret Mead's Holy Day "Earth Day is the first holy day which transcends all national borders, yet preserves all geographical integrities, spans mountains and oceans and time belts, and yet brings people all over the world into one resonating accord, is devoted to the preservation of the harmony in nature and yet draws upon the triumphs of technology, the measurement of time, and instantaneous communication through space." <br> Margaret Mead, cultural anthropologist

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7 Inspiring Reads for Earth Day

We picked some of our favorite articles from the Times’s Climate Desk.

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By The New York Times

For the past 53 years, April 22 has been Earth Day. It started as a call for a regeneration of a polluted environment and has since come to focus on climate change .

Since we’re covering news and events every day that affect our planet, we compiled this list of articles that we hope will inspire, surprise and entertain you. It’s not exhaustive. To keep up with everything we’re doing, consider signing up for our twice-a-week newsletter, Climate Forward.

1. Here’s how one couple fought to ‘wild’ their lawn, and ended up changing state law.

After their homeowner association ordered them to replace their wildlife-friendly plants with turf grass, a Maryland couple sued. They ended up changing state law.

They Fought the Lawn. And the Lawn’s Done.

And others: Last year we talked to Diana Beresford-Kroeger, a botanist and author, who created a forest with tree species handpicked for their ability to withstand a warming planet. Tulsi Gowind Gowda has spent most of her more than 80 years planting and nurturing trees in southern India. And Domingo Morales from the Bronx became one of the most famous faces of composting in New York City .

2. And how a rancher reached a truce with beavers.

As global warming intensifies droughts, floods and wildfires, Agee Smith has become one of a growing number of ranchers, scientists and other “beaver believers” who see the creatures not only as helpers, but as furry weapons of climate resilience.

Mr. Smith’s father, Horace Smith, blew up a lot of beaver dams in his life. But working with beavers can help to store precious water and rejuvenate land ravaged by climate change. As long as you don’t dynamite their homes.

It Was War. Then, a Rancher’s Truce With Some Pesky Beavers Paid Off. It’s a lesson in how to coexist with other species, many of which are in peril from staggering declines in biodiversity .

3. California has had a wild weather year. Scientists saw it coming.

In August, scientists published a paper examining what might happen if a “megastorm” were to hit California . By January, the state had been hit by a multitude of atmospheric rivers, though not to the extent the paper had suggested. But it was a reminder of how a warmer planet is one with more extreme weather and it raised questions about whether our approaches to crippling storms are up to the challenge to 21st-century climate threats.

The Coming California Megastorm

4. The majestic monsoon touches nearly a quarter of humanity. And it’s changing in dangerous ways.

The rainy season across South Asia is a spectacular time of year, captured over the centuries in poetry, in movies, in popular music and in daily life. But now, climate change is making the season far more dangerous and unpredictable .

We captured the beauty and peril in a journey across the region. Along the way, we found remarkable stories — including a group of rural schoolkids who help run an innovative early warning system

The South Asia Monsoon Is Becoming More Extreme

5. Surprising solutions: How to bury carbon dioxide in a concrete block.

Big buildings are a big source of emissions. To fix that, one company in New York City wants to capture carbon dioxide at the source, liquefy it and bury it in concrete blocks like the ones pictured above. In fact, it’s already doing it .

If that seems like a circuitous way to reduce emissions, that’s because it is. But, it turns out, some of the more obvious ways to reduce emissions, like swapping gas and oil for cleaner electric heating, can be a costly and logistical challenge.

This is all in response to a sweeping new climate law in New York City, which requires buildings to cut emissions or face fines. It’s turned the city into a laboratory of sorts, forcing change and innovation as property owners scramble to avoid huge penalties.

A Huge City Polluter? Buildings. Here’s a Surprising Fix.

6. Seaweed: the slimy stuff with many superpowers

Look, out in the ocean. It’s a snack . It’s a blob . It’s seaweed.

Seaweed is having a moment far beyond its traditional delicious place in Asian cuisine.

Scientists and entrepreneurs are experimenting with seaweed-based plastic substitutes. They are investigating its potential to pull carbon dioxide out of the air. And they’re feeding it to cattle to make them burp less planet-warming methane.

Yet there are big questions. For instance, can seaweed itself thrive in a warming world?

Seaweed Is Having Its Moment in the Sun

7. Meet two climate activists, 40 years apart in age.

Bill McKibben published his first book over 20 years before Xiye Bastida was born. But as climate leaders, they agree that “for an activist to have hope is the most important thing.” The Times spoke with them both this year.

Two Climate Activists, 40 Years Apart in Age, on the Movement’s Future

Ask your climate questions here, on Earth Day or any day.

Climate change is a big topic that can be hard to wrap your head around. We’ve gathered answers to climate questions big and small and are taking note of new questions to answer, too.

Our Coverage of Climate and the Environment

News and Analysis

Scientists have already established that the summer of 2023 was the warmest in the Northern Hemisphere since around 1850. Now, researchers say it was the hottest in 2,000 years .

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, an obscure climate agency , approved sweeping changes to how America’s electric grids are planned and funded . The new rule could help speed up wind and solar energy.

Officials in California have told scientists to stop testing a device  that might one day be used to artificially cool the planet by making clouds brighter , reflecting planet-warming sunlight back into space.

A Cosmic Perspective:  Alarmed by the climate crisis and its impact on their work, a growing number of astronomers  are using their expertise to fight back.

Struggling N.Y.C. Neighborhoods:  New data projects are linking social issues with global warming. Here’s what that means for five communities in New York .

Biden Environmental Rules:  The Biden administration has rushed to finalize 10 major environmental regulations  to meet its self-imposed spring deadline.

F.A.Q.:  Have questions about climate change? We’ve got answers .

Search the United Nations

• UN Observances

When Mother Earth sends us a message

Mother Earth is clearly urging a call to action. Nature is suffering. Oceans filling with plastic and turning more acidic. Extreme heat , wildfires and floods, have affected millions of people.

Climate change , man-made changes to nature as well as crimes that disrupt biodiversity, such as deforestation, land-use change, intensified agriculture and livestock production or the growing illegal wildlife trade, can accelerate the speed of destruction of the planet.

This is the third Mother Earth Day celebrated within the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration . Ecosystems support all life on Earth. The healthier our ecosystems are, the healthier the planet - and its people. Restoring our damaged ecosystems will help to end poverty, combat climate change and prevent mass extinction. But we will only succeed if everyone plays a part.

For this International Mother Earth Day, let's remimd ourselves - more than ever - that we need a shift to a more sustainable economy that works for both people and the planet. Let’s promote harmony with nature and the Earth. Join the global movement to restore our world!

Let’s act now

There are multiple, feasible and effective options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to human-caused climate change, and they are available now, according to the last UN Climate Change report backed by science.

World Environment Situation Room

Data and knowledge on the environment.

UN Environment offers a web gallery where you can access data classified by theme and geographical area that has been transformed into attractive multimedia material to make it more understandable for all users.

Did you know?

• The planet is losing 10 million hectares of forests every year – an area larger than Iceland.
• A healthy ecosystem helps to protect us from these diseases. Biological diversity makes it difficult for pathogens to spread rapidly.
• It is estimated that around one million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction.

Dialogues with Nature

Do you want me to tell you the truth? It is that I have been given a name which-does not suit me; my name is "Nature", and I am all art.

To commemorate this day, interactive dialogues are held annually at the United Nations. Unfortunately, they will not take place this year, but we invite you to read the Dialogue between the Philosopher Voltaire and Nature in the 18th century.

A strategy for the Ecosystem Restoration

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration provides a great opportunity to revive our natural world amidst the ongoing environmental crisis. While a decade may seem lengthy, scientists emphasize that these next ten years are pivotal in combating climate change and preventing the loss of countless species. Read the ten strategic actions within the UN Decade that can contribute to building a #GenerationRestoration.

Understanding climate change better

We all have a role in climate action. We must work together to meet the commitments of the 2015 Paris Agreement. But... what is exactly climate change and what does the Paris Agreement say? What actions are being taken and who is carrying them out? What are the latest scientific reports on the subject? Are we in time to save Mother Earth? Discover it here .

Why do we mark International Days?

International days and weeks are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool. We also mark other UN observances .

2023 Earth Day Essay Contest Set for Area Students

Area students in grades five to 12 can participate in The University of Scranton’s Earth Day Essay Contest 2023. The contest is offered free of charge. This year’s essay theme is “The People’s Planet ,  Climate Justice,” a celebration of our shared global community and how we may all contribute to make it a better one.

Topics students can write about include Conservation, recycling, bees, access to healthy eating, factory farming, renewable energy, eliminating single use containers, gardening, public transportation, community, family, vertical planting and plant-based meals, among other subjects.

Essays for students in grades five and six must be between 200 to 400 words. Essays for students in grades seven and eight must be between 300 to 500 words. Essays for students in grades nine to 12 must be between 500 to 700 words. Electronic submissions must be sent to [email protected] on or before Monday, April 3. Mail-in entries must be postmarked on or by April 1 to be considered and can be sent to: The University of Scranton, Office of Sustainability, Smurfit Arts Center, 445 Madison Avenue, Scranton, PA 18510, Attn: Earth Day Essay Contest.

Visit the Sustainability & Energy Management Department section of the University’s facilities management page , then scroll down to locate the contest guidelines, complete submission rules and details .

Winners of the Earth Day Essay Contest will be announced by the University’s Sustainability Office and student Sustainability and Conservation Society at an Evening of Environmental Science program for participants and their families and teachers on Thursday, April 20, 2022, beginning at 5:30 p.m., in the atrium of the Loyola Science Center on campus.

See photo gallery below for photos from last year's Evening of Environmental Science.

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Climate Action

Investing in our planet: insights from earthday.org’s earth week 2023.

• Investing in Our Planet:…

April 22, 2023

Earth Day is an annual, poignant reminder of the profound impact human activity has had on the environment and the urgent need to Invest in Our Planet in order to protect our future. As we face an increasingly uncertain climate and a rapidly changing world, it is more important than ever to shift our collective consciousness towards a deeper understanding of humanity’s role in this crisis. The challenges we face are urgent, but they also represent an opportunity for us to come together to take bold action and fight for equity and prosperity.

Earth Week 2023 has served as a powerful catalyst for this awakening, inspiring us to take responsibility for our actions and to work together in innovative ways to build a sustainable and just world. EARTHDAY.ORG brought leaders from across all sectors together in a series of Earth Day Live webinars to highlight the most pressing environmental issues of our time and provide tangible solutions. In case you missed them, here are the eight main takeaways from EARTHDAY.ORG’s Earth Week series:

“Brands who invest in the circular economy are more profitable and more sustainable.”

During EARTHDAY.ORG’s kick off to Earth Week, fresh solutions were brought to the table for the fashion industry’s devastating waste problem. These solutions focused on the circular economy, recycling fibers in a textile-to-textile approach, and reducing the number of clothes produced. Natasha Franck, Founder of EON, emphasized the need for traceability. Constanza Gomez, Co-founder of Sortile, presented a tool for efficiently identifying the composition of clothes, and Pete Majeranowski, President of Circ, showcased his innovative molecular recycling technology. To watch Fashion’s Age of Invention – Part II: Toward a Balance with Nature , please click here .

“Your voice is an essential piece of the puzzle. Experience helps create understanding and the ability to create policies for all to have a prosperous future.”

Young people must understand the choices they make today have a profound impact on the future. It’s crucial to get involved in your community and use your voice as an essential tool to effect change. Elected officials and environmental advocates from all levels of the U.S. government gathered in honor of Earth Week to discuss the importance of sustainability, the integration of environmental legislation, and the role of civic engagement in demanding equitable solutions to climate change. From Representative Sophie Phillips of Delaware and Mayor Ravinder Bhalla of Hoboken to Adriano Espaillat’s Advisor, Robert Hogan, real life examples, like the Earth Bill , were shared to encourage a holistic and intersectional approach to Invest in Our Planet. To watch Activating Elected Officials at All Levels for Earth Day , please click here .

“Every revolution starts with education. We can do this (equitable climate curricula) in 4 or 5 years, it doesn’t have to take a generation.”

Kathleen Rogers, Johnny Dabrowski, and Max Falcone from EARTHDAY.ORG sat down with leaders from Earth Uprising, COP 28, Education International, and Global Partnerships for Education (GPE) to address this fact: education is the key to solving climate change. With COP28 on the horizon, climate education has taken center stage. Education is one of the most fundamental solutions to climate change, and progress has already been made in improving environmental literacy worldwide. However, there is still a long way to go, and it is crucial for world leaders to invest in education to create a pipeline of green jobs and build green economies in all countries, not just the Global North. Climate justice is social justice. Youth is the key to promoting action, and embedding climate education in schools is the key to transforming systems to see this justice. To watch Climate Education at COP28: The Road to Climate Literacy and Equitable Education , please click here .

“We need to get serious. We need to be out of our suites and in the streets fighting against the climate crisis.”

It is feasible and possible to end plastic pollution by 2040 if we have the political will to get it done, but we must also address the root causes of the issue. The petrochemical industry plays a significant role in plastic pollution, targeting vulnerable communities and causing serious health issues. We need to shift from fossil fuels to clean energy and hold these industries accountable for their harmful practices. Additionally, we must end the “litter bug” narrative placing the blame solely on consumers. Greenwashing must also be eliminated. We need to educate and inform consumers about the true impact of plastic pollution and promote circular solutions like refillable and renewable containers. It’s time to prioritize the well-being of our planet and end the profit-over-people mentality. To watch Ending Plastic Pollution:The Role the Petrochemical and Tobacco Industries Play in Plastic Pollution , please click here .

“Everything that is within us is within her. When we reconnect we are able to understand and advocate for Mother Earth.”

Healthy soil is the foundation of our planet. It connects the world above the soil to the living world below it, bringing healing to the land and body, and reconnecting our bodies to the ecosystem to bring balance and harmony. Being a steward of the soil means advocating for the plants, trees, microbiomes, and bacteria living in our environment, giving more than we take from the land, and mimicking nature and its processes. It is important to treat Earth as a living being and to form a relationship with our planet through the power of intention and thought when interacting with our environment.To watch Stewards of the Soil: Addressing the Climate Crisis From the Ground Up , please click here .

“Waiting for your latte? You can do some good.”

KATOA , a new video game released today (April 22nd), offers players two-fold benefits by connecting the virtual environment to real-world biomes and educating them about climate literacy. The game’s developers, Sankari Studios , partnered with nonprofits globally, including EARTHDAY.ORG, to fund critical conservation initiatives. As players complete missions, they earn impact points which translate into real money for conservation efforts. The game offers escapism, education, and fulfillment while allowing players to contribute to conservation efforts worldwide. KATOA and its developers invite players to join them in being one of the first to download it this Earth Day. To learn more and watch Gaming for Good: A Catalyst for Environmental Change , please click here .

“We can be overwhelmed by the situation (climate crisis) or fall in love with the creativity of the solutions.”

As the effects of climate change continue to worsen, it’s becoming increasingly clear that traditional methods of addressing the crisis are not enough. That’s where web3 and blockchain technology, like Celo , come in. By providing a toolset for mass coordination and enabling decentralized systems with no hierarchy, web3 can help tackle the big problems posed by climate change. With blockchain’s ability to create a tamper-proof and transparent system, it becomes an incredible accountability tool bringing corporate greenwashing to light and addressing the climate funding gap. By encouraging more efficient transactions and renewable energy sources, smart contracts can help feed green energy back into the grid and enable the energy transition. With a focus on collaboration, trust, and incentive, there’s a role for blockchain in all drivers of climate change, making it an exciting tool to help fight the climate crisis. To learn more about Celo and watch Why Blockchain? Accelerating & Funding Climate Solutions at Scale , please click here .

“Our very future depends on humans grasping how critical our tiny, beautiful planet is.”

Space travel has the power to inspire humanity by providing a unique perspective on our planet. Astronauts often return from missions with a new understanding of Earth’s fragility and a desire to take action towards social and environmental causes. The new perspective of space travel can be leveraged to address the climate crisis and inspire positive change. Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot speech, inspired by the Pale Blue Dot photograph of Earth, serves as an urgent call to action for the new commercial space age. To learn more about Space Perspective and watch How Seeing Our Finite Planet From the Hostile Blackness of Space Can Drive Positive Change , please click here .

Addressing the climate crisis requires a holistic approach including innovation, education, funding, and equity. Education is key in creating awareness and promoting sustainable practices, while funding is necessary for research and development of sustainable technologies and initiatives. Additionally, equity is crucial in ensuring the burden of climate change is not disproportionately felt by vulnerable communities. It is essential for governments, private organizations, and individuals to take collective action to address the climate crisis, and by prioritizing green innovation, universal climate education, proper funding, and equity, we can make significant progress in making a sustainable future happen today. To learn more about how to get involved in the environmental movement and Invest in Our Planet, please visit https://www.earthday.org/.

Madison Aughinbaugh

Related stories, just 7 questions: a conversation with the paris olympics, 5 books to read to save the planet, how earth day went global, and how we can use it to save our earth.

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Earth Day 2024

By: History.com Editors

Updated: April 22, 2024 | Original: October 27, 2009

Earth Day was founded in 1970 as a day of education about environmental issues, and Earth Day 2024 is on Monday, April 22. The holiday is now a global celebration that’s sometimes extended into Earth Week, a full seven days of events focused on green living and confronting the climate crisis. The brainchild of Senator Gaylord Nelson and inspired by the protests of the 1960s, Earth Day began as a “national teach-in on the environment” and was held on April 22 to maximize the number of students that could be reached on university campuses. By raising public awareness of pollution, Nelson hoped to bring environmental causes into the national spotlight.

Earth Day History

By the early 1960s, Americans were becoming aware of the effects of pollution on the environment. Rachel Carson’s 1962 bestseller Silent Spring raised the specter of the dangerous effects of pesticides on the American countryside. Later in the decade, a 1969 fire on Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River shed light on the problem of chemical waste disposal. Until that time, protecting the planet’s natural resources was not part of the national political agenda, and the number of activists devoted to large-scale issues such as industrial pollution was minimal. Factories pumped pollutants into the air, lakes and rivers with few legal consequences. Big, gas-guzzling cars were considered a sign of prosperity. Only a small portion of the American population was familiar with–let alone practiced–recycling.

Did you know? A highlight of the United Nations' Earth Day celebration in New York City is the ringing of the Peace Bell, a gift from Japan, at the exact moment of the vernal equinox.

Who Started Earth Day?

Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1962, Senator Gaylord Nelson, a Democrat from Wisconsin, was determined to convince the federal government that the planet was at risk. In 1969, Nelson, considered one of the leaders of the modern environmental movement, developed the idea for Earth Day after being inspired by the anti- Vietnam War “teach-ins” that were taking place on college campuses around the United States. According to Nelson, he envisioned a large-scale, grassroots environmental demonstration “to shake up the political establishment and force this issue onto the national agenda.”

Nelson announced the Earth Day concept at a conference in Seattle in the fall of 1969 and invited the entire nation to get involved. He later recalled:

“The wire services carried the story from coast to coast. The response was electric. It took off like gangbusters. Telegrams, letters and telephone inquiries poured in from all across the country. The American people finally had a forum to express its concern about what was happening to the land, rivers, lakes and air—and they did so with spectacular exuberance.”

Denis Hayes, a young activist who had served as student president at Stanford University, was selected as Earth Day’s national coordinator, and he worked with an army of student volunteers and several staff members from Nelson’s Senate office to organize the project. According to Nelson, “Earth Day worked because of the spontaneous response at the grassroots level. We had neither the time nor resources to organize 20 million demonstrators and the thousands of schools and local communities that participated. That was the remarkable thing about Earth Day. It organized itself.”

On the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, rallies were held in Philadelphia, Chicago , Los Angeles and most other American cities, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. In New York City , Mayor John Lindsay closed off a portion of Fifth Avenue to traffic for several hours and spoke at a rally in Union Square with actors Paul Newman and Ali McGraw. In Washington, D.C. , thousands of people listened to speeches and performances by singer Pete Seeger and others, and Congress went into recess so its members could speak to their constituents at Earth Day events.

The first Earth Day was effective at raising awareness about environmental issues and transforming public attitudes. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “Public opinion polls indicate that a permanent change in national priorities followed Earth Day 1970. When polled in May 1971, 25 percent of the U.S. public declared protecting the environment to be an important goal, a 2,500 percent increase over 1969.” Earth Day kicked off the “Environmental decade with a bang,” as Senator Nelson later put it. During the 1970s, a number of important pieces of environmental legislation were passed, among them the Clean Air Act, the Water Quality Improvement Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act and the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act. Another key development was the establishment in December 1970 of the Environmental Protection Agency, which was tasked with protecting human health and safeguarding the natural environment—air, water and land.

What Do You Do For Earth Day?

Since 1970, Earth Day celebrations have grown. In 1990, Earth Day went global, with 200 million people in over 140 nations participating, according to the Earth Day Network (EDN), a nonprofit organization that coordinates Earth Day activities. In 2000, Earth Day focused on clean energy and involved hundreds of millions of people in 184 countries and 5,000 environmental groups, according to EDN. Activities ranged from a traveling, talking drum chain in Gabon, Africa, to a gathering of hundreds of thousands of people at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. 

Today, the Earth Day Network collaborates with more than 17,000 partners and organizations in 174 countries. According to EDN, more than 1 billion people are involved in Earth Day activities, making it “the largest secular civic event in the world.”

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Earth Day 2023: Explore Your World with NASA's Worldview

This Earth Day we invite you to explore our planet with imagery available through NASA's Worldview satellite imagery exploration tool. In the following images, you'll see tropical cyclones developing, reservoirs filling after torrential rain, wildfires spreading, and urban centers expanding. With NASA Worldview, you can also take a snapshot, create an animated GIF, or compare imagery from two dates to view changes over time. Start your Worldview explorations with these examples:

Hurricane Ian 2022

San luis reservoir, california, mullica river fire, new jersey.

• After Decades, Iceberg B-22A Drifts Out to Sea

Urban Sprawl: Las Vegas, Nevada

Learn more about NASA Earth science data and exploring these data in Worldview:

Learning Resources

Getting Started with NASA Worldview Tutorial (December 2021)

This true-color image from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite ( VIIRS ) instrument aboard the NOAA-20 satellite shows Hurricane Ian making landfall just south of Punta Gorda, Florida, on September 28, 2022. Ian was a Category 5 hurricane with wind speeds of 155 miles per hour. The powerful storm caused a catastrophic storm surge south of Tampa that, along with over 20 inches of rain, caused major flooding across the peninsula all the way to the Atlantic coast.

Viewing Tips

• Explore this image of Hurricane Ian in Worldview .
• View an animation of Hurricane Ian moving toward western Florida, just south of Tampa (press the "play" button in the animation control panel in the lower center of the screen).
• Turn the nighttime lights imagery layer on and off  by clicking on the “eye” icon next to the imagery layer (Note: This must be done before you press play for the animation).

These Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 ( HLS ) images were acquired by the Multi-Spectral Instrument aboard the ESA (European Space Agency) Sentinel-2A and Sentinel-2B satellites. On December 1, 2022, the water level in California's San Luis reservoir (the fifth largest in the state) was estimated to be at one-quarter of its capacity. Thanks to the series of atmospheric rivers that brought record-breaking amounts of rain and snow to the state in early 2023, the reservoir is now nearly full.

• Interact with the before-and-after comparison image of the San Luis reservoir .
• With your cursor, toggle left and right between the January 1 image (A side) and the April 1 image (B side) to view changes in the reservoir’s water levels.
• In the April 1 observation, notice that the southern tip of the reservoir, which was dry just three months prior, now has water.
• Adjust the year, month, and date in the lower left corner for multiple-year comparisons.

This Black Marble Nighttime Blue/Yellow Composite (Day/Night Band) image from the VIIRS instrument aboard the NASA/NOAA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) satellite shows the Mullica River Fire burning southeast of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and northwest of Atlantic City, New Jersey, on June 20, 2022. The fire ignited on June 19, 2022, and grew to more than 12,000 acres over a 24-hour period. Fortunately, by the evening of June 21, the fire was mostly contained.

• Explore this image of the Mullica River Fire using NASA Worldview .
• In this comparison image , use your mouse to swipe the center bar left and right to see how the active fire detections (in red) on the left correspond to the yellow "night lights" in the image of the same night on the right; this is in sharp contrast to all of the other yellow nighttime lights emanating from surrounding cities, towns, and major roadways.
• View the fires in comparison to the city lights near the Wharton State Forest , where the fire started; on the right side (“B” side) of this comparison, click on the red active fire vectors (shown as red dots) to reveal information about that fire including latitude and longitude, and fire radiative power (radiant heat output from the fire).
• Compare nighttime lights vs. the daytime smoke plume .
• View the burn scar from the fire  (seen as a reddish area near the center of the image).

After Decades, Iceberg B-22A Drifts to Sea

The massive B-22 iceberg , originally the size of Rhode Island, still measures more than 3,000 square kilometers and has only moved 100 km (60 miles) from where it calved off from the once extensive floating ice tongue of Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier in 2002.

• Explore this image of iceberg B-22 in Worldview .
• View an animation of the iceberg's movement from October 24, 2022, to March 26, 2023 .
• Adjust the speed at which the animation is playing by dragging the frames per second widget in the animation toolbar from 8 frames to 4 frames.
• Adjust the date to view a snapshot in time by clicking on the year, month, and day in the lower left corner.

The population of metropolitan Las Vegas has grown significantly over the last 30 years, from 530,000 people in 1984 to more than 2.8 million in 2022. HLS imagery and data support a wide range of applications, such as assessments of plant health, ecological monitoring, impacts of fires and other natural hazards, population growth, and more.

• Compare the footprint of Las Vegas in October 24, 1984, with the same footprint acquired on November 24, 2022 .
• Turn on the place labels by clicking on the Place Labels imagery layer on the reference layer panel on the left.
• View the difference in the amount of water in Lake Mead by comparing both images.

Whether you are a scientist, an educator, a student, or just interested in learning more about how to use all the openly available data in NASA’s Earth Observing System Data and Information System ( EOSDIS ) collection, we have the resources to help! NASA's Earthdata Learn page will help you find what you need to get started with NASA Earth science data, services, and tools.

In this tutorial, learn how to use NASA's Worldview imagery mapping and visualization application. We'll show you how to explore and visualize over 1,000 NASA Earth science satellite imagery layers, many of which are available within hours, even minutes, and spanning back 20 years. Worldview has been used for time-critical applications such as monitoring and managing wildfires, supporting science through easy-to-access satellite imagery archives, illustrating disasters and natural events in the media, and facilitating education and outreach. We show you how to create and export an image snapshot, animate imagery to see changes over time, compare imagery from different dates or different types of imagery from the same date, explore vector data layers like Fires and Thermal Anomalies, and much more!

Technologies

NASA tracks nearly every aspect of the water cycle

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Why we celebrate: Essayists offer reasons for hope from Wisconsin, birthplace of Earth Day

Wisconsin has a rich legacy of environmental stewardship.

Wisconsin has a unique connection to Earth Day and the environmental movement , with deep ties to luminaries such as John Muir , Aldo Leopold and Gaylord Nelson , among others.

As we approach Earth Day 2023 on Saturday, the Ideas Lab invited three writers to pen essays to mark the occasion with one stipulation: give us cause for optimism despite plenty of room for despair.

Wisconsin can commit to climate action based on science and solutions

Benji Backer is an Appleton-native and leads the American Conservation Coalition . Backer outlines a series of steps, grounded by science and solutions, Wisconsin can take to protect our environment:

"Each year,  Earth Day  gets more and more political. Rather than uniting people based on their love for our planet, it’s marked by polarizing protests and demonstrations to garner reporters’ attention. It’s time for a new climate approach. One not motivated by politics or partisanship or even media coverage, but science and real solutions. Fortunately, contrary to the narrative pushed by many environmentalists, this isn’t a death sentence, and we’re not out of time. But, we do need to commit to climate action. The Climate Commitment  is a platform guided by six big ideas: innovate, streamline, unlock, compete, conserve, and protect. "

Click to read his full essay

New technologies, policies and global commitments give reason for optimism

Greg Nemet continues the tradition of environmental scholarship at the University of Wisconsin–Madison through the La Follette School of Public Affairs, studying energy, climate change and public policy. He says despite a gloomy international report, the capacity to tackle problems has never been greater:

"If there were ever a time to have optimism about our collective capacity and will to address climate change, this is it.   This idea was threaded through the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report , which emphasized that we can still effect transformational change that could stave off the worst possible outcomes and lead to a sustainable, equitable world. Globally, we’ve made considerable progress in a broad range of technologies that are making the transition to a low-carbon economy more affordable and feasible than ever. "

Practical tips for celebrating Earth Day through conservation, stewardship

Jenny Washam writes for Wisconsin’s Green Fire, one of many non-profits in the state continuing the legacy of promoting science-based management of the state's natural resources. She offers a series of practical tips for putting into practice the changes needed to help the Earth heal:

"Meeting today’s unique environmental challenges requires all of us to make earth-smart decisions, from the cars we drive, to our choices of energy to heat and power our homes, to the plants we choose to grow in our yards or on our porches. It is also important to remain engaged with our local community and the decisions that affect our health and the health of our planet."

Click to read her full essay

Looking to learn more about Earth Day and the environment in Wisconsin?

▶ Chelsey Lewis has details on the Milwaukee River Spring Cleanup and more ways to volunteer on Earth Day.

▶ Chris Foran wrote about how Earth Day was born in Wisconsin with marches, skits, environmental teach-in and an uncooperative Mother Nature.

▶ Madeline Heim has details on a program Wisconsin just launched, creating the first marketplace for trading water quality credits.

▶ Caitlin Looby wrote about a new coalition that wants to fast track Wisconsin’s transition to clean energy.

Contact Jim Fitzhenry at (920) 993-7154 or  [email protected] . Follow on Twitter at  @JimFitzhenry , Instagram at @jimfitzhenry or  LinkedIn . 

Earth Day: What is it, when is it and why is it important?

Planet v plastics ... Earth Day 2024 is calling for a 60% reduction in plastic production by 2040. Image:  Naja Bertolt Jens/Unsplash

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Hanh nguyen.

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Stay up to date:, climate indicators.

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• Earth Day takes place every year on 22 April and is one of the biggest environmental protest movements on the planet.
• The theme of Earth Day this year is 'Planet vs. Plastics' - campaigners are calling for a 60% reduction in the production of plastics by 2040.
• The World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report 2024 finds that environmental risks make up half of the top 10 risks over the next 10 years.

“Good evening, a unique day in American history is ending. A day set aside for a nationwide outpouring of mankind seeking its own survival.”

Those were the words of US TV presenter Walter Cronkite as he described the aftermath of the first Earth Day back in 1970.

Here’s what you need to know about Earth Day in 2024.

What is Earth Day and what is the theme in 2024?

Earth Day is an international day devoted to our planet. It draws attention to the environment and promotes conservation and sustainability. Each year on 22 April, around 1 billion people around the world take action to raise awareness of the climate crisis and bring about behavioural change to protect the environment.

Participation in Earth Day can take many forms, including small home or classroom projects like planting a herb garden or picking up litter. People also volunteer to plant trees, join other ecological initiatives or take part in street protests about climate change and environmental degradation.

Official Earth Day campaigns and projects aim to increase environmental literacy and bring together like-minded people or groups to address issues such as deforestation, biodiversity loss and other challenges .

The global theme for this year's Earth Day is ' Planet vs. Plastics ', which recognizes the threat plastics pose to human health and with campaigners demanding a 60% reduction in the production of plastics by 2040.

From 23 to 29 April 2024, governments and NGOs from around the world will gather in Ottawa to continue negotiating the terms of the United Nations Global Plastic Treaty .

How did Earth Day begin?

Millions of people took to the streets of US cities and towns on 22 April 1970 in mass protests over the damage being done to the planet and its resources. Amid the demonstrations, protesters brought New York City’s usually bustling Fifth Avenue to a halt, while students in Boston held a “die-in” at Logan Airport. The environmental impact of the post-war consumer boom was beginning to be felt at that time. Oil spills, factory pollution and other ecological threats were on the rise, with little if any legislation in place to prevent them.

The protests brought together people from all walks of American life – accounting for about 10% of the US population – to demonstrate and voice their demands for sustainable change. The Earth Day website calls it the birth of the modern environmental movement.

What led to the street protests in 1970?

Concerned about increasing levels of unchecked environmental destruction, Junior Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin suggested a series of “teach-ins” on university campuses across the US in 1969 to raise awareness of environmental threats. Nelson was joined by Congressman Pete McCloskey and activist Denis Hayes to organize the teach-ins, but the group soon recognized an opportunity to broaden the event’s appeal beyond student populations.

The newly named Earth Day protest events attracted national media attention and support from around 20 million Americans across age and political spectrums, occupations and income groups.

What did the protests achieve?

The Earth Day demonstrations left an indelible mark on US policy. By the end of 1970, the US Environmental Protection Agency came into being and a stream of laws followed to help protect the environment . These included the National Environmental Education Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Clean Air Act. Further legislation was soon introduced to protect water quality and endangered species, and to control the use of harmful chemicals and pesticides.

When did Earth Day go global?

Earth Day went beyond the US in 1990. Around 200 million people from 141 countries joined efforts to boost recycling around the world that year, paving the way for the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Climate change poses an urgent threat demanding decisive action. Communities around the world are already experiencing increased climate impacts, from droughts to floods to rising seas. The World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report continues to rank these environmental threats at the top of the list.

To limit global temperature rise to well below 2°C and as close as possible to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, it is essential that businesses, policy-makers, and civil society advance comprehensive near- and long-term climate actions in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change.

The World Economic Forum's Climate Initiative supports the scaling and acceleration of global climate action through public and private-sector collaboration. The Initiative works across several workstreams to develop and implement inclusive and ambitious solutions.

This includes the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders, a global network of business leaders from various industries developing cost-effective solutions to transitioning to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy. CEOs use their position and influence with policy-makers and corporate partners to accelerate the transition and realize the economic benefits of delivering a safer climate.

Contact us to get involved.

This “Earth Summit”, as it became known, led to the formation of the UN Convention on Climate Change and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity , along with the Commission on Sustainable Development to monitor and report on the implementation of Earth Summit agreements.

And as citizens were increasingly concerned with corporate impacts on the natural environment, big and small businesses started to feel the pressure to consider sustainability in their practice.

Have you read?

Is climate inaction a human rights violation, how earth observation from space helps advance climate change research, why is earth day important today.

As the millennium loomed, the Earth Day movement turned its attention to the growing reality of the impending climate crisis with a clear message for world leaders and business: urgent action is needed to address global warming.

It’s a message that is even more relevant today. The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change states that without further immediate action to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the world is on course for temperatures 3.2°C above pre-industrial levels by 2100. This level of warming would be catastrophic for the planet and all life on it, including humans.

The year 2023 was the hottest ever recorded .

The World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report 2024 finds that environmental risks make up half of the top 10 risks over the next 10 years, with extreme weather events, critical change to Earth's systems, biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse being the top three.

Nature is our biggest ally in fighting the climate crisis and has slowed global warming by absorbing 54% of human-related carbon dioxide emissions over the past 10 years. Yet, we are losing animals, marine species, plants, and insects at an unprecedented rate, not seen in 10 million years . Threats from human activity for food production and ocean use, infrastructure, energy and mining endanger around 80% of all threatened or near-threatened species .

Earth Day has become a leading light in the fight to combat climate change and nature loss. As we celebrate its 54th anniversary, we must make use of this truly global movement to act, as citizens and governments, as consumers and businesses, and as individuals and communities. Our survival could well depend on it.

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License and Republishing

World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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Earth Day 2024

Earth Day is an opportunity to reflect on our community’s commitment to sustainability and responsible stewardship of the environment. It is an important chance to recognize outstanding environmental achievements, engage with environmental topics, and commit to making a difference. Each year, the City hosts activities dedicated to celebrating Earth Day and its environmental principles: the Poster and Writing Contest and the Annual Citywide Clean-Up. While Earth Day falls on Monday, April 22, 2024, Earth Day Events are scattered around the spring. Please help us celebrate Earth Day by participating and encouraging others to participate!

2024 Poster and Writing Contest

The Poster and Writing Contest invites Hayward students to create a poster or write a poem/essay about Earth Day and its environmental principles. It gives students an opportunity to draw or write their thoughts on water and energy conservation, renewable energy, sustainable transportation and meals, recycling and composting, a litter-free environment, and environmental justice. See here to download an entry form. Entries are due by March 15, 2024. The winners will be awarded at City Council meeting in April. 

Full Contest details available  here .

Submissions can also be submitted electronically. To turn in your poster, poem, or essay electronically, please go here (English) or here (Spanish) . 

See the 2023 winning entries here .

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The Annual Citywide Clean-Up will take place on Saturday, April 20, 2024 .  You can sign-up for to participate in the clean-up here . In an effort to make the event zero waste, we encourage participants to bring their own water bottles.

If you are interested in hosting a booth at this year's Community Fair, please contact Elise Pierce at [email protected] .

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