Earth Day began on April 22, 1970 and has been an important day ever
since. It’s a day to reflect on our planet, our environment and what we
can do to help keep them healthy.
From the beginning, children and schools were approached to support
the formation and continuation of this special day. And this makes
sense! Children have the most important stake in keeping our planet
healthy. They’ll still be the caretakers long after their parents and
grandparents have passed away.
What Did Earth Day Accomplish?
Well, after the first earth day in 1970 here’s what happened:
- The Environmental Protection Agency was established later in 1970.
- The tough Clean Air Act of 1970 was passed with only a handful of dissenting votes in both Houses of Congress.
- The Federal Occupational Health and Safety Act aimed at “in-plant
pollution” was passed by a coalition of labor and environmental groups.
- Within the next three years, such landmarks as the Clean Water Act,
the Endangered Species Act, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery
Act were passed.
Other countries have accomplished similar achievements.
But this is one of those jobs that’s never complete. Global warming
and other issues never conceived of in 1970 are now common themes on the
news.
The First Earth Day
Senator Gaylord Nelson of the United States founded Earth Day. Earth
Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970 in the United States. Across
the United States, 20 million people and thousands of local schools and
communities participated in the first Earth Day. The huge turnout for
the first Earth Day made it the largest organized celebration in the
history of the United States. Earth Day’s success helped influence the
government of the United States to create stronger laws to protect the
environment.
Earth Day Goes International
On March 21, 1971, United Nations(UN) Secretary-General U Thant made
Earth Day an international celebration. He spoke about it at a Peace
Bell Ceremony at the United Nations in New York City. The United Nations
Earth Day ceremony continues each year on the day of the vernal equinox
(March 20th or 21st), with the ringing of the UN Peace Bell at the very
moment of theequinox.
What Did Earth Day 1990 Achieve?
- The UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. The Earth Summit was the
largest collection of national political leaders ever to meet in one
place. It made some important initial steps toward addressing climate
change and preserving biodiversity.
- More than a dozen countries established eco-labeling programs to
guide consumers toward environmentally preferable goods and services.
- Several Eastern European nations, responding to public demand, established new environmental protection agencies.
- CARE, the international relief agency, set out new environmental
goals for itself in the 1990s that include planting 500,000,000 trees
worldwide.
