Earth Day turns 40

Today, April 22, is Earth Day. Initiated by US Senator Gaylord Nelson in 1970 as a national movement for education and promotion of environmental care, Earth Day eventually was recognized and is now celebrated around the world.

The first International Earth Day was held in 1990, with over 140 countries joining the movement. Today, with over 170 countries involved, Earth Day is one of the biggest movements in the world in terms of global environmental education and action.

Canada was among the countries that joined in 1990, with the founding of Earth Day Canada, a non-profit advocacy and education organization, and the movement has gained national popularity in the past 20 years. The commemoration has spread into the whole week around April 22–Earth Week.

Events and commemorations are scheduled across the country. Organizers are encouraging people to send in pictures and stories to local and national media about their Earth Day/Earth Week contributions.

Earth Day is geared at education around our everyday activities, and how individuals or groups can make a real difference just by making simple environmentally friendly choices. It is as easy as remembering to turn off lights or appliances when not in use or bringing cloth bags to the grocery store.

Events are also geared toward active participation in promoting change. Popular activities can range from planting a tree or picking up garbage in public parks to writing our political representatives, telling them our concerns for environmental protection.

Earth Hour, held annually in March, is another international movement started a few years ago that calls participants to take simple actions to send a strong message. People are called to turn off their lights and electrical appliances for one hour, as a demonstration of the need to act on issues like environmental protection and climate change. In March 2010, over 120 countries and 4000 municipalities participated from around the globe.

Canada’s reputation, as of late, on environmental protection is not something in which we can be particular proud –being called a “fossil” at the recent UN Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change. But today and the rest of this week take an opportunity to do something small for the environment –including writing your own Member of Parliament – and together we can make a difference.

Happy Earth Day!