Earth Day is an annual event that first began in the United States in 1970 and has since grown into a global phenomenon. It aims to encourage climate action and education across the globe, both on a local and international scale. This year, on April 22, Earth Day will coincide with President Biden’s climate summit which will be live-streamed due to Covid-19 restrictions.
1969
In January and February 1969, Santa Barbara experienced a catastrophic oil spill which sent an estimated 3 million gallons of crude oil into the ocean. Union Oil, anchored on the coast of Santa Barbara, instigated this spill, with inadequate safety precautions resulting in an underwater explosion so powerful the sea floor cracked in five places. This oceanic disaster spanned 35 miles, killing thousands of fish, mammals, and birds in its wake.
US Senator, Gaylord Nelson, was inspired by student anti-war movements and decided to channel such energy into protecting the environment instead – thus he created Earth Day.
The first Earth Day took place on 22 April 1970 and witnessed 20 million US citizens marching in the streets for climate justice. Within a year, these demonstrations had spurred the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency which was headed by President Richard Nixon himself.
In 1990, Earth Day became an international campaign and has since soared in popularity and engagement for climate activists, politicians, and locals alike.
In 2016, leaders from 175 countries signed the Paris Agreement on Earth Day to reinforce the need for change in the face of a rapidly dying planet.
Our crumbling planet
Figures show that global CO2 emissions are currently back above pre-pandemic levels despite an exponential decrease in the first few months of lockdown last year. In 2018, China topped the table with 10.06GT, with the United States coming in second with 5.41GT. Despite the UK only emitting 0.37GT, without appropriate care and stringent planning the planet’s end will soon be in sight.
But it doesn’t stop there. Sea levels are rising at an exponential rate and are having a severe impact on our planet. Earlier this year, Indonesia announced plans to relocate its capital city away from Jakarta due to the city’s infrastructure sinking by 25cm a year.
11% of global greenhouse gas emissions are caused by deforestation. 800,000 hectares are lost every year. 800 million people are currently vulnerable to the direct impact of climate change.
This is not just a ‘them’ problem… it’s a ‘you’ problem.
“We are at the edge of a cliff,” said the President of Earth Day. “If we don’t act now to reduce carbon emissions, there will be no way back.”
‘Restore Our Earth’
This year’s theme is ‘Restore Our Earth’, with participants urged to focus on reducing their carbon footprint and explore ways in which we can repair our ecosystems.
“We’ll cover natural processes, emerging green technologies, and innovative thinking that can restore the world’s ecosystems,” said the Earth Day organisation.
Topics of debate at this event will include: climate and environmental literacy; reforestation efforts; equity and environmental justice; citizen science; restoration technologies; regenerative agriculture; and clean-ups.
Organiser of the first Earth Day, Denis Hayes, spoke with John Kerry, United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate:
Watch Special Climate Envoy, @JohnKerry, call for global #ClimateLiteracy. #RestoreOurEarth #EarthDayLive2021 pic.twitter.com/H344BUSuWE
— EARTHDAY.ORG (@EarthDay) April 21, 2021
“Be the change you want to see in the world” – Mahatma Ghandi
As Ghandi famously said: “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Change cannot happen until you act – government and business strategies only take us half the way.
Earth Day 2020: 'We desperately need hope now,' Jane Goodall says#EarthDay #EarthDay2021 pic.twitter.com/1MSJvqY04P
— Kiki (@KikiAlabama) April 20, 2021
Earth Day has created an interactive map of virtual events near you to get more involved: more information can be found here.
Organisers have also created a toolkit with ways in which you can get involved and make a difference from home.
Earth Day Live 2021 will also be live-streamed via their website tomorrow and is set to be an unmissable event.
If you want to see how your area has been affected by climate change, follow this link.
Madeleine Raine
Featured image courtesy of Sushobhan Badhai on Unsplash. Image license is available here. This image has in no way been altered.