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Earth Day is a global event observed by over a billion people, taking place on the 22nd of April each year.
Earth Day is about raising awareness of the challenges to the well-being of our planet and the life it supports. It’s a day that reminds us all we can come together for the greater good regardless of our differences. Together, we can beat the ongoing climate crisis by making environmentally friendly choices and leaving the world as a better place for future generations to come.
The History of Earth Day
Earth Day was founded in 1970 by Gaylord Nelson, a US Senator from Wisconsin, following the disastrous 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. The oil spill had a significant impact on marine life off the coast of California, killing an estimated 10,000 sea birds and marine animals.
Inspired by the public outrage, Gaylord Nelson organised what came to be known as ‘Earth Day’, when he succeeded in amassing 20 million people to protest environmental issues in the United States.
52 years later, Earth Day is now the biggest secular observance in the world, marked by over 1 billion people in 193 countries every year as a day of action against the climate crisis.
Earth Day 2022: ‘Investing In Our Planet’
The theme for Earth Day 2022 is #InvestingInOurPlanet.
What this means is that everyone – businesses, governments, and individual citizens – needs to make changes to combat climate change. Everyone is held accountable for helping our planet, ranging from bigger corporations to individuals.
Unless businesses act now, climate change will deeply damage economies, increase scarcity, drain profits and job prospects, and impact us all. Sustainability is the path to prosperity. If business leaders can get on board with a sustainable future and take action, our society can embrace the benefits of a green economy.
By utilising the law and creating environmental regulations, governments can significantly impact the war on climate change and build greener economies. Like the industrial and information revolutions of the past, governments must incentivize their citizens, businesses, and institutions to build a more sustainable future.
As individuals, we have the simple yet effective power to make our voices heard through our actions and individual choices. What each of us chooses to do in day-to-day life has a huge ripple effect on our ecosystems and the pace of corporate and government action. For example, one action you can take is to stop purchasing from certain brands that do not sell ethical or sustainable products. We have the power to support businesses that are taking active steps to protect our environment through their products and practices and fight against those that don’t.
Whether you attend a climate change rally, commit to recycling, or ensure you only purchase sustainable products, you can make a huge impact on the world we live in. We all have a responsibility to look after our planet, and we all play a role in the outcome of climate change.
Together, let’s #InvestInOurPlanet!
What can I do to be more environmentally friendly?
If you’d like to play your part in taking care of our planet this Earth Day, here are 10 top tips to follow:
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – Cut down on waste
- Reduce your meat consumption, go for plant-based options
- Practice sustainable fashion and avoid fast fashion where possible
- Ditch the plastic, use reusable water bottles and bags
- Turn off the lights and other electrical products when they’re not in use
- Grow plants and organic fruits and vegetables in your garden
- Go pesticide-free to prevent the extinction of bees
- Switch to online billing to avoid wasting paper
- Organise a community clean up in your local area
- Use public transport instead of driving, shrink your carbon footprint
The truth is: the natural world is changing. And we are totally dependent on that world. It provides our food, water, and air. It is the most precious thing we have, and we need to defend it.
- David Attenborough
