World Earth Day is observed every year on April 22 to raise awareness and support environmental protection. It was first celebrated in 1970 as a ‘national teach-in on the environment’ initiated by Senator Gaylord Nelson.
Earth Day 2023 follows last year’s ‘Invest in Our Planet’ and ‘Get Inspired. Take Action’ theme. The global organizer for the event, EarthDay.org (EDO), highlights the theme ‘Invest in Our Planet’ to encourage investment in positive environmental change and address the current environmental challenges. Earth Day events are held across the world, and the week of April 16 to 22 is named ‘Earth Week,’ which is dedicated to educating people about climate change and taking steps towards a green revolution.
Despite these efforts, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that we are still off-track in meeting environmental targets.
The first Earth Day in 1970 was effective in raising awareness and transforming public attitudes towards environmental issues. It led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States, which initiated several key environmental acts such as the Endangered Species Act, Clean Air Act, and the Clean Water Act.
The ‘Invest in Our Planet’ theme for Earth Day 2023 calls on individuals, communities, governments, and businesses to prioritize and take action towards protecting and preserving the planet. To save Earth, individuals can reduce, reuse, and recycle, plant trees, travel smartly, conserve water, and fix leaky pipes. Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and it is the only planet in the solar system where water can be present in all three states (solid, liquid, and gas).
It formed about 4.54 billion years ago and is much larger than Venus. Earth is the only planet that supports life, and it has tectonic plates underneath its surface. Earth receives between 100 and 30 metric tonnes of cosmic dust every day, and despite being made up of over 70% water, the water accounts for less than 1% of Earth’s mass. About 95% of Earth’s oceans are still unexplored.
While Earth Day is a significant annual event, the IPCC stresses the need for continuous efforts to combat climate change and meet environmental targets.
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