Skip to main content

World Earth Day

 

Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by Earthday.org (formerly Earth Day Network) including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries. The official theme for 2024 is "Planet vs. Plastics." 2025 will be the 55th anniversary of Earth Day.

In 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco, peace activist John McConnell proposed a day to honor the Earth and the concept of peace, to first be observed on March 21, 1970, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. This day of nature's equipoise was later sanctioned in a proclamation written by McConnell and signed by Secretary General U Thant at the United Nations. A month later, United States Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed the idea to hold a nationwide environmental teach-in on April 22, 1970. He hired a young activist, Denis Hayes, to be the National Coordinator. Nelson and Hayes renamed the event "Earth Day". Denis and his staff grew the event beyond the original idea for a teach-in to include the entire United States. More than 20 million people poured out on the streets, and the first Earth Day remains the largest single-day protest in human history.

Key non-environmentally focused partners played major roles. Under the leadership of labor leader Walter Reuther, for example, the United Auto Workers (UAW) was the most instrumental outside financial and operational supporter of the first Earth Day. According to Hayes: "Without the UAW, the first Earth Day would have likely flopped!" Nelson was later awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom award in recognition of his work. The first Earth Day was focused on the United States. In 1990, Denis Hayes, the original national coordinator in 1970, took it international and organized events in 141 nations. On Earth Day 2016, the landmark Paris Agreement was signed by the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and 120 other countries.

This signing satisfied a key requirement for the entry into force of the historic draft climate protection treaty adopted by consensus of the 195 nations present at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris. Numerous communities engaged in Earth Day Week actions, an entire week of activities focused on the environmental issues that the world faces. On Earth Day 2020, over 100 million people around the world observed the 50th anniversary in what is being referred to as the largest online mass mobilization in history. A similar but separate event, World Environment Day, is organized by the United Nations and observed annually on June 5.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Indira Gandhi

  Indira Gandhi, the second from her lineage to have wielded the position of Head of State, is the only woman to have been elected as the Prime Minister in India to date. With a long-standing political career, she served close to four terms as India’s Prime Minister from 1966-1977 and then again from 1980-1984.  Born on November 19, 1917, as Indira Priyadarshani Nehru, she was the only daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India. Born into a family of freedom fighters and political leaders, her entire life was spent in the realm of politics.  Indira Gandhi boasted an illustrious educational background. She studied at some of the most prominent institutions, both domestic and foreign. Her academic years were spent at Ecole Nouvelle, Bex (Switzerland), Ecole Internationale in Geneva, Pupils’ Own School in Pune and Mumbai, Badminton School in Bristol, Vishwa Bharati, Shantiniketan and Somerville College of Oxford University. She became inquisitive about p...
Post a Comment
Read more

Infirmity

Infirmity: Understanding Physical Weakness and Its Implications In our fast-paced world, where strength and vigor are often associated with productivity and capability, the concept of infirmity or physical weakness tends to carry significant stigma. This stigma not only affects individuals grappling with their physical limitations but also reflects broader societal attitudes toward health, wellness, and the human experience of being frail. Defining Infirmity Infirmity refers to a condition of being weak, especially due to age or illness. It encompasses a wide range of physical conditions that can impact an individual’s mobility, strength, and overall physical capability. While the term is often associated with the elderly or chronically ill, infirmity can affect anyone at any stage of life. The causes of infirmity can be varied and complex. They may be rooted in genetic predispositions, lifestyle choices, environmental factors, or pathological conditions. Conditions like arthri...
Post a Comment
Read more

World Autism Awareness Day

  World Autism Awareness Day is an internationally recognized day annually on April 2, encouraging Member States of the United Nations to take measures to raise awareness about autistic individuals throughout the world. It was designated by the United Nations General Assembly resolution (A/RES/62/139)., passed in council on November 1, 2007, and adopted on December 18, 2007. It was proposed by Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned, the United Nations Representative from Qatar, and supported by all member states. This resolution was passed and adopted without a vote in the UN General Assembly, mainly as a supplement to previous UN initiatives to improve human rights. World Autism Day is one of only seven official health-specific UN Days. The terms "Autism Awareness Day" and "Autism Awareness Month" are often contested by autism rights advocates, who claim that they feed into ableism against au...
Post a Comment
Read more