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What is Earth Day?

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Earth Day is an annual environmental event during which people celebrate the Earth's natural environment and promote environmentally healthy practices. Many cities around the world hold Earth Day celebrations which may include sustainable living fairs, prominent speakers, music, dancing, food, and parades, among other things. In some countries, prominent politicians make an annual Earth Day address or announcement to talk about environmental issues and to celebrate gains in environmental sustainability.

There is some dispute as to when, exactly, Earth Day is. Many people celebrate Earth Day on 22 April, in a nod to the late 1960s origins of Earth Day, when activists organized the event on 22 April. Others celebrate it on the spring equinox, which means that Earth Day falls on different days in the Northern and Southern hemisphere. Celebrants who favor the equinox point out that spring is traditionally greeted with excitement by people all over the world, making the first day of spring a great time to celebrate the Earth.

Earth Day is an annual event where people celebrate the Earth's natural environment.
Earth Day is an annual event where people celebrate the Earth's natural environment.

Early Earth Day celebrations were used to highlight growing environmental problems and to propose ways of tackling these problems. Issues like industrial pollution and resource-hogging technology were brought up on Earth Day, along with over-harvesting of natural resources and practices which harm the Earth, like strip mining. As humans have recognized more and more environmental problems, ranging from global warming to a growing number of threatened or extinct species, the scope of the issues which come up on Earth Day has expanded.

Discussions around global warming have increasingly become a part of Earth Day.
Discussions around global warming have increasingly become a part of Earth Day.

Originally, Earth Day was accompanied with teach-ins and other events which were designed to draw attention to planetary issues. Modern Earth Day celebrations often focus on the positive, celebrating progress which has been made in the quest to protect the Earth, and offering education about living in a sustainable way. Earth Day festivals often feature sources of alternative energy, organic farmers, and locally produced products, to get people to connect with the Earth and their communities.

Earth day was designed to bring awareness of practices, like strip mining, that can harm the Earth.
Earth day was designed to bring awareness of practices, like strip mining, that can harm the Earth.

As Earth Day has become more well known, more and more nations and companies have begun actively participating in the event. It is not uncommon to see companies releasing information about major environmentally friendly breakthroughs on Earth Day, for example, and for nations to pick Earth Day as a target date for emissions reductions and other environmentally friendly measures. The day also provides an excellent rallying point for environmental activists.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a CulturalWorld researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a CulturalWorld researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

Heavanet

@raynbow- That sounds like a fun idea for a good cause. Another good thing to do for Earth Day is to make a commitment to begin recycling. We can make a collective effort to clean the earth this way, one person at a time.

Raynbow

While traveling, I found a city park that has organizers who celebrate Earth Day in a special and productive way. They invite the public out to the park to spend the day picking up trash, recycling it, and cleaning various areas. The day is followed by refreshments and entertainment to celebrate the day and the environmentally-friendly efforts of the volunteers.

This event is a great way to get families together for a fun time while bringing awareness to the the earth and environmental issues. I think more communities should use this earth day idea to help bring about awareness and positive change.

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    • Earth Day is an annual event where people celebrate the Earth's natural environment.
      By: jeremyculpdesign
      Earth Day is an annual event where people celebrate the Earth's natural environment.
    • Discussions around global warming have increasingly become a part of Earth Day.
      By: kentauros
      Discussions around global warming have increasingly become a part of Earth Day.
    • Earth day was designed to bring awareness of practices, like strip mining, that can harm the Earth.
      By: miklav
      Earth day was designed to bring awareness of practices, like strip mining, that can harm the Earth.