‘Time to act’: Earth Day 2023 calls for collective action on environmental issues

The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970 after 20 million Americans came together to demand greater protections for the planet.

“Earth Day” is an annual global event celebrated on April 22 to promote environmental consciousness and raising awareness of the various issues that impact our planet. The theme for Earth Day 2023 is "Invest In Our Planet".

Moradabad: Young women with the messages painted on their faces urging to save the earth at a programme, on the eve of the Earth Day, in Moradabad, UP on Friday,(PTI)

The initiative is led by EARTHDAY.ORG, formerly known as Earth Day Network, which was established to educate, diversify, and mobilize the environmental movement worldwide. It is a brainchild of US Senate in 1962, Senator Gaylord Nelson, who managed to convince the federal government that “planet is at risk”.

The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970 after 20 million Americans came together to demand greater protections for the planet. This historic event brought environmental concerns to the forefront of public discourse.

EARTHDAY.ORG now works with over 150,000 partners across 192 countries to drive positive action for the planet.

On Earth Day, numerous events, rallies, and campaigns are organised across the world to raise awareness about the urgent need to protect our planet.

Theme

This year's theme “Invest In Our Planet,” emphasises the critical need to prioritise our time, resources, and energy towards addressing the urgent challenges posed by climate change and other environmental issues.

Impact of ‘Earth Day’ over the years

Earth Day has had a significant impact over the years, driving environmental awareness and inspiring people to take action. Here is a timeline highlighting some of the key milestones in Earth Day's history:

1970: The first Earth Day is celebrated in the United States, with 20 million Americans mobilizing to call for greater protections for the environment.

1992: Earth Day goes global with 200 million people across 141 countries joining the movement and helping to raise environmental issues on the world stage.

2000: Earth Day leveraged the “power of digital media” to organise local conversations in over 180 countries.

2010: Earth Day Network launched “A Billion Acts of Green” (global campaign to improve environment) and “The Canopy Project” (aimed to plant trees across the globe), engaging 75,000 partners in 192 countries.

2020: Earth Day marked its 50th anniversary with global activations aimed at mobilising a billion people worldwide to take transformative action for our planet.