Every year on April 22, people around the world celebrate Earth Day, a day that aims to arouse people's awareness and action for the protection of the earth's environment.

Since the first Earth Day was held in 1970, the day has become an international celebration that encourages people to take various ways to protect our common home. In this article, we’ll look at Earth Day and what people do on this day and throughout the year.

The origin of Earth Day

The origins of Earth Day can be traced back to the early 20th century when global environmental issues began to attract widespread attention. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a series of environmental disasters and problems surfaced, causing widespread concern in society. These problems include air and water pollution, wildlife extinction, deforestation, and other misuse of natural resources.

In this context, a US senator, Guy Nelson, proposed the creation of a global holiday aimed at raising people's awareness and action on environmental issues.

On April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day celebration was held in the United States. Thousands of people took to the streets and held protests calling on the government to take measures to protect the environment.

The event received widespread support and quickly spread to other countries, eventually evolving into Earth Day. Since then, April 22nd every year has become a special day to honor the Earth and encourage people to take action to protect our planet.

The meaning of Earth Day

The significance of Earth Day is not only to raise people's awareness of environmental issues but also to encourage people to take practical actions to improve the condition of the earth.

This day reminds us that the Earth is our only home and it is our responsibility to protect it to ensure it can continue to provide support and resources to us and future generations.

1. Educational significance: Earth Day conveys environmental protection knowledge to people through various educational activities and publicity activities. Schools, communities, and the media often organize events to increase public understanding of environmental issues. This helps foster interest in sustainable development and environmentally friendly behavior.

2. Political influence: Earth Day is also an opportunity to remind governments and policymakers of the steps they need to take to reduce environmental stress and climate change. Demonstrations, petitions, and public pressure can push governments to adopt stricter environmental regulations and policies.

3. Global linkage: The earth is a common home, and global problems require global solutions. Earth Day unites people from all over the world to pay attention to and solve environmental problems. This international cooperation is crucial because many environmental issues do not respect national borders.

What do people do on Earth Day?

Every year on Earth Day, people take various ways to show care and take action for the planet. Here are some actions people can take on this day and throughout the year:

1. Cleaning activities: Many communities will organize cleaning activities, and volunteers will clean up garbage in parks, beaches, streets, and other public places. This helps improve environmental quality, protect wildlife, and beautify communities.

2. Plant trees: Trees are one of the most important natural resources on earth, they help absorb carbon dioxide and improve air quality. As a result, people often plant trees on Earth Day to help restore forests destroyed by logging and wildfires.

3. Energy conservation: People will reduce carbon emissions by reducing energy consumption, such as turning off unnecessary lights, reducing water use, and reducing heating/cooling usage. These small changes can add up to large environmental impacts over the long term.

4. Education and publicity: Many educational institutions and environmental organizations will hold various publicity activities on Earth Day to raise people's awareness of environmental issues. This includes hosting symposiums, exhibitions, and seminars, as well as disseminating information about sustainable lifestyles.

5. Donate and support: People can donate to support environmental organizations that work to protect wildlife, promote renewable energy, and conduct environmental research. These donations help support the work of these organizations

Earth Day is a special time to remind us to protect our planet and encourage people to take action to improve the environment through education, community involvement, and personal responsibility.

Despite some important achievements, we still face significant environmental challenges. So it’s up to each of us to take action on Earth Day and throughout the year to work together to protect our precious planet.

Only through global cooperation and sustained efforts can we ensure a sustainable future for our planet.