Earth Day:
Every year, 22nd April is celebrated as Earth Day to raise public awareness about the environment and inspire people to save and protect it.
- The theme for the year 2021 ‘Restores Our Earth’ examines natural processes, emerging green technologies, and innovative thinking that can restore the world’s ecosystems.
- Earth Day was first observed in 1970 when 20 million took to the streets to protest against environmental degradation on the call of US Senator Gaylord Nelson.
- The event was triggered by the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill, as well as other issues such as smog and polluted rivers.
- In 2009, the United Nations designated 22nd April as ‘International Mother Earth Day.
- Earth Day is now globally coordinated by EARTHDAY.ORG, which is a nonprofit organization.
- It was formerly known as Earth Day Network.
- It aims to “build the world’s largest environmental movement to drive transformative change for people and the planet.”
- It recognizes a collective responsibility, as called for in the 1992 Rio Declaration (Earth Summit), to promote harmony with nature and the Earth to achieve a just balance among the economic, social, and environmental needs of present and future generations of humanity.
- The landmark Paris Agreement, which brings almost 200 countries together in setting a common target to reduce global greenhouse emissions, was also signed on Earth Day 2016.
