Today marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day – a day which was designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment.
Here are 10 facts you need to know about Earth Day:
1) Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 every year, and gives people around the world a chance to appreciate the environment – and encourages us to help save it.
2) Earth Day was founded in the US by Senator Gaylord Nelson, who expressed concern that the environment was not on the political agenda.
3) Organisers say the event’s premise was that “all people, regardless of race, gender, income, or geography, have a moral right to a healthy, sustainable environment”.
4) The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, and more than 20 million Americans demonstrated including students from 2,000 universities. Senator Nelson said that the event “organised itself”.
5) Nelson consolidated the success of the first Earth Day with the Environmental Education Act and in 1972 also helped found the National Environmental Education Act in the US.
6) This year, the event’s organisers hope about 1.5 billion people will undertake more than 31 billion “acts of green” organised by 19,000 organisations in 190 countries.
7) A rally that is expected to attract tens of thousands of people will be held this weekend in Washington DC with speakers including Avatar director James Cameron and Rev Jesse Jackson and with Sting performing.
8 ) US President Obama has urged people to write to him with their Earth Day stories while US politicians are expected to release their long-awaited climate change bill in four days time.
9) Hollywood is producing 40 million pounds less trash as a result of the day.
10) It doesn’t take much to do your part for the environment – every aluminium drink can you recycle saves enough energy to keep your TV running for three hours.
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