Earth Day

Millions of people all over the world celebrate Earth Day on a nice spring day of April 22, but what does exactly Earth Day mean and what are its origins? Actually Earth Day is a name given to two different events. The first one is associated with the March equinox (around March 20) that marks precisely mid-spring in the Northern Hemisphere and mid-autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. An equinox is considered to be a special moment in time when the center of the Sun is located directly above the Earth’s equator. John McConnell was the first person to introduce the idea of a global holiday called "Earth Day" at a UNESCO Conference on the Environment in 1969. The first Earth Day proclamation was issued by the Mayor of San Francisco Joseph Alioto on March 21, 1970. UN Secretary-General U Thant supported McConnell's initiative to celebrate this annual event, and on February 26, 1971, he signed a proclamation where it stated that Earth Day should be celebrated annually around the globe. Since that time celebrations have occurred in many different cities all around the world. Also, at the moment of the equinox, it has become a tradition to ring the Japanese Peace Bell, a bell donated by Japan to the United Nations.

 The second event is associated with the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, in response to widespread environmental crisis that had been accumulating in the United States for many decades, called for a nationwide environmental protest, or Earth Day,  that was held on April 22, 1970. Over 20 million people as well as thousands of colleges and universities organized massive protests in the streets against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting power plants, pesticides and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized that they had common principles. Earth Day is now observed each year on April 22 by more than 500 million people and national governments in 175 countries. Mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries and raising important environmental issues onto the world stage Earth Day on April 22 in 1990 had a tremendous effect on recycling efforts worldwide and played a significant role in assisting for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

Earth Day is a perfect time for all of us to think about what we are doing to protect environment and reduce the environmental impacts of our everyday activities. On Earth Day people all over the world practice environmental sustainability. Usually people recycle all the things they use during this day, buy only locally grown products, rid litter from the streets and roadways, try to use as less energy and electricity as possible at home, turn off all domestic appliances, plant a tree and talk to their children and relatives about what we all can do to minimize the human footprint on the environment of our planet.

 A small beautiful town called Chico in California participated in the celebration of the Earth Day as well. A number of different events took place during the Earth Day week, among which 4 projects were carried out on Saturday April 19 in the Bidwell Park. Volunteers were asked to help provide trail repair and maintenance on Middle Trail, to pick up trash and construction debris, remove the weeds in Sycamore Restoration site, to monitor water quality at the Big Chico Creek and flag piles of asphalt to be removed later during the restoration. Today on Tuesday April 22 several events are going to occur on CSU, Chico campus. “Veggie Feed” will be organized at Free Speech Area at 11:30 a.m., where local businesses from Chico will be donating vegetarian food that can be purchased individually at a small rate or combined as a whole plate to increase awareness on environmental-friendly food and to raise funds for EARC. Also, Breathe for Peace Workshop hosted by author and lecturer M.L. Cerpok Sensei is going to be held at BMU 210 from 1 to 3 p.m. where you will be able to learn the ancient practice that has been proven to reduce stress and calm the restless mind. Another interesting event that will take place from April 26 till May 3 is called “Spare the Air”, where anyone can ride the Butte Regional Transit bus for free. For this event, guest speakers will be invited on selected routes highlighting the history, geography and other points of interest in the area.      

 Earth Day is a widely celebrated event all over the globe that makes all of us contemplate on our relationship with the environment and take certain measures to reduce our impact on nature and lead a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.  If all of us unite and take little personal steps to help protect environment from the destructive human activity, we are bound to achieve good results and preserve our precious planet for the future generations to enjoy its warmth and beauty.