What is the importance of Earth Day?
Earth is like no other planet that we know of in our solar system nor the universe. To make us more aware of just how precious it is we celebrate Earth Day.
Earth Day was first celebrated over 50 years ago, but its roots go further back. It was the brainchild of a Wisconsin US Senator, Gaylord Nelson, who had a lifelong love of nature. He was spurred into action by a massive oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara in 1969.
He wanted to use the energy of student anti-war protests to harness the growing public consciousness about pollution in the air and water through an organized “nationwide environmental teach-in” on college campuses. Nelson enlisted the help of a Pete McCloskey, a US Representative from California, and the two recruited a young activist Denis Haynes. The latter gave the event its name, ‘Earth Day’.
What is the importance of Earth Day?
People were becoming aware that not all was well with nature when rivers and lakes covered in an oily sludge were catching fire. Likewise, animals were developing deformities or just dying off. Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, which was published in 1962, made people begin to take note of the degradation of the land, air and water because of pollution. Especially the effects of contamination from a now-banned pesticide DDT.
Earth Day helped channel that growing awareness and concern for the environment as well as spreading it further afield. It also shows the inextricable links between pollution and public health while promoting the need to protect our planet’s natural resources for future generations.
At the same time, it celebrates the diversity of Earth’s ecosystems along with honoring achievements that have been made by the environmental movement. These include legislation to get rid of dangerous pesticides and chemicals, ensure clean water and air, as well as provide greater protections for wildlife to name just a few.
Earth Day was a smashing success from the beginning. The first Earth Day on 22 April 1970 saw around 10 percent of the US population, or about 20 million Americans, take to the streets to protest against the deterioration of the environment and the impacts of industrial development.
Earth Day has now grown into an international event. Over 1 billion people participate each year in 192 countries. It is considered the largest secular observance in the world.