Friday marks Earth’s very own holiday, and this year’s theme is “Invest In Our Planet.”
Kathleen Rogers, president of Earth Day’s global organizer EarthDay.org, wants this year’s message to give people around the world hope.
“I think people can’t operate in fear… So we looked for messaging [that] might inspire people to look to the future in a way that engages them and allows them to think positively about what they could do to change it,” Rogers told USA TODAY, adding that “Invest In Our Planet” brings three parties to the table: government, businesses and citizens. “We all need to work together.”
Here’s what you should know about Earth Day and how to take action for our planet in 2022.
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Earth Day, which falls on April 22 every year, is the most widely observed secular holiday around the globe. It’s not recognized as a federal holiday in the United States, but Americans across the country have observed it for 52 years.
While EarthDay.org underlines that we should invest in our planet every day of the year, Earth Day is seen as a prominent day of action. More than 1 billion people worldwide mark the holiday by working to both instigate climate policy change and shift everyday human behavior for the betterment of our world.
The history of Earth Day dates back to 1970. U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson joined forces with Sen. Pete McCloskey and environmental advocate Denis Hayes, then a young activist, to organize teach-ins at college campuses and promote events nationwide.
According to EarthDay.org, the group chose April 22 in hopes of maximizing student participation since it was a weekday falling between spring break and final exams. The first “Earth Day inspired more than 20 million Americans to demonstrate against the harmful impacts of industrial development on both the planet and human health, including thousands of university protests and city rallies from coast-to-coast.
By the end of 1970, Earth Day’s momentum led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of multiple environmental laws, such as the National Environmental Education Act and the Clean Air Act.
Earth Day became a global event in 1990 – with 200 million people in 141 countries coming together to spotlight environmental issues internationally. Observance has grown since.
Amid the growing climate crisis, environmental advocacy and action are critical, further underlining the need to “Invest In Our Planet.”
Earlier this month, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published a report warning of the dangers of rising global warming levels – noting that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius could be “beyond reach” if significant emission reductions across all sectors are not taken immediately.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said the IPCC report showed “a litany of broken climate promises” by governments and corporations worldwide. “It is a file of shame, cataloging the empty pledges that put us firmly on track toward an unlivable world,” Guterres said.
In the 2015 Paris accord, governments agreed to keep global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius. Temperatures have increased by more than 1.1 degrees Celsius since pre-industrial times.
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As a day of action, people observe Earth Day in various different ways.
In the U.S., rallies and protests are expected this weekend from Chicago to Oklahoma City. Along with its partners, EarthDay.org will present a livestream of the Earth Day Climate Action Summit on Friday. Nonprofits nationwide are also organizing volunteer community cleanups, local “fun runs” and more.
EarthDay.org has also published 52 different ways to invest in our planet, including how to calculate your carbon footprint, organize a community cleanup and contact elected officials.
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