It’s perhaps the most important day of the year: Earth Day! The holiday continues to inspire millions in their efforts to save the environment, and here are five facts about this world-wide celebration.
The Phenomenauts weren’t lying when they sang how “Earth Is The Best,” and that is no truer than on April 22 – Earth Day! 2019 marks the 49th observance of the environmental holiday. With the looming threats of global warming and climate change, Earth Day is more important in 2019 than when it was created nearly 50 years ago. As environmentalists and nature lovers everywhere celebrate, here are some facts that you need to know about Earth Day.
1. It was founded in 1970 as a day to raise awareness about environmental issues. After a massive oil spill hit Santa Barbara, California in 1969, Gaylord Nelson, a then-U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, decided something needed to be done. The senator, inspired by the protests of the 1960s, hoped that if he “could infuse that energy with an emerging public consciousness about air and water pollution, it would force environmental protection onto the national political agenda,” according to Earth Day’s official website. 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to protest for a healthy, stable environment. The movement brought Republicans and Democrats together. By the end of 1970, the first Earth Day led to the creation of the Environment Protection Agency, and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species acts.
2. Events are happening all over the world today. There are SO many festivals, events, gatherings and walks happening around the world to celebrate Earth Day! It extends over the weekend too, so have a look at earthday.org to find out what festivities are happening near you.
3. Being A Veggie Might Save The Planet. While one doesn’t have to suddenly become vegetarian or vegan to save the planet, reducing the amount of meat you eat does have a positive effect on the environment. With rising populations, there is a greater demand for meat, which means a greater demand for land and water to breed such livestock. If 10 million people remove meat from their diet for at least one day a week, it would “reduce enough C02 emissions to drive around the world 2,438 times,” reduce water usage by 13 million tons, and save up to 5,700 acres of land, according to Hello! magazine.
4. It’s One Of Leonardo DiCaprio’s Favorite Causes. Every year Leonardo DiCaprio gives a nod to Earth Day. In the past, he’s shared inspiring messages (One year, he re-tweeted how we “can, we must, deliver on the promise of the #ParisAgreement.” In 2019, Leonardo teamed up with Lil Dicky and practically every other celebrity in the music biz — Justin Bieber, Halsey, Ariana Grande, T-Pain, Lil Yachty, Miley Cyrus and more — to release the charity single, “Earth.”
5. 2020 marks Earth Day’s 50th Anniversary. Earth Day celebrations take place in 190 countries across the world. To celebrate Earth Day’s 50th, the Earth Day Network will use the day “as a catalytic event to reignite the environmental movement and unite the vast array of groups and individuals who care for and protect the earth.” The organization has set a list of goals to help shape environmentalism in the 21st century, which you can see here.