The Earth Day Evolution
Almost four decades ago, with the help of college students, staff members and activities coordinator Denis Hayes, Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson founded the first Earth Day.
Earth Day 1970 was a grassroots effort to raise environmental awareness. Since then, Earth Day has evolved and expanded into an international day of awareness and activism.
Thanks to the efforts of Gaylord and his crew along with many local and national organizations, Earth Day is now recognized universally as a day for communities, schools and colleges to come together to raise awareness about pressing environmental issues and to spark new initiatives.
The Earth Day Network, founded by the organizers of the first Earth Day, works year round to:
- Promote Civic Engagement
- Broaden the Meaning of “Environment”
- Mobilize Communities
- Support Groundbreaking Environmental Education Programs
- Support Earth Day Events and Actions around the World
According to the Earth Day Network, attendance at Earth Day events has grown exponentially since the beginning:
- Approximately 20 million people in 1970
- An estimated 200 million people attended events in 184 countries in 1990
- By the new millennium, the internet helped this number swell to nearly 500 million
Today, Earth Day events are promoted and organized by such environmental heavyweights as the World Wildlife Fund, The Sierra Club and the Environmental Protection Agency. Events include musical performances, speeches from environmental activists and politicians, exhibits and celebrity appearances.
If you happen to be busy on April 22 this year (it is a Tuesday after all), do not despair. Like many days worthy of annual commemoration, Earth Day events are celebrated during the week leading up to and following the actual day.
Find events in your area by visiting the Envirolink Network or the Earth Day Network. If you’re looking to make a difference this Earth Day, find special events for product disposal, cleanup and educational seminars in your area using Earth911′s recycling locator.
As of June 17th 2011 we have upgraded our comment system to use Facebook comments.
The below comments are closed and are listed for historical purposes.
bravenewleaf
posted on March 24th, 2008 at 11:53 am
Earth Day is awesome, but don’t forget about Earth Hour, taking place Saturday, March 29th, from 8-9pm. Turn off your lights,tv, and all of your power for one hour to raise awareness about energy-use and climate change.
http://www.bravenewleaf.com/environment/2008/03/please-particip.html
ogorganicngreen
posted on March 26th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Organic N Green Global Awareness: Empowerment Statement
We are conscious beings who are committed to the enlightenment behind maintaining our Mother Earth and restoring humanity to its origin of balanced nature. In advancing the success of our business, we will strive to be exemplary models of social and environmental responsibilities. We commit to illuminating a path for all individuals to participate in contributing no matter how small, by being the change they want to see. We reveal that our interior and exterior worlds create from one another. In addition, we do not lose Mother Earth to our ideals, but protect our originality in Green as we continue in our role as creator…Mother in Nature.
Peace love the planet
Dolby Dubrow & Stacey Lane
we are committed
Namaste
hippychicky
posted on March 30th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
I am very passionate about the environment! My daughter got a school wide recycling program started last year when she was in the fourth grade. But one thing that rips my heart out is mountain top removal. I live in WV, and this has me very concerned about not only the environment , but all of the poor little critters that are having their homes ripped away! :( And they don’t seem to be reclaiming the land! Does anyone have any suggestions? You can see alot of it on you tube.