Earth Day occurs on April 22nd every year. It’s an annual reminder of our responsibility to address environmental challenges and the power of coming together to create change. Earth Day is a global movement that empowers both people and businesses to champion environmental protection.

It occurs every year with the dual purpose of celebrating achievements and progress that’s been made and raising awareness of the work that still needs to be done to protect the Earth for future generations. So when did Mama Earth’s big day begin?

In the groovy 70s, after shocking images of the Lake Erie Fire and Santa Barbara oil spill came out, 20 million Americans came together to demand a cleaner and healthier environment. This led to the very first Earth Day in 1970 and the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency. Thankfully, the party is still going strong today!

What Has Earth Day Achieved?

Since the very beginning, Earth Day has been a huge push to make things happen! Here are some of its top achievements:

1970

• Formation of the Environmental Protection Agency
• Passing of the Clear Air Act
• Passing of the Clean Water Act
• Passing of the Endangered Species Act

1990

• Gaylord Nelson, the creator of Earth Day, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
• The Earth Day Special aired on ABC

2010

• Launch of A Billion Acts of Green, the world’s largest environmental service campaign

2016

• Signing of The Paris Climate Agreement - the United Nations chose Earth Day as the day 175 world leaders would commit to climate action by signing the Paris Climate Agreement. This event currently holds the record for most world leaders ever to sign an accord in a single day.

Global Theme For Earth Day 2024

The official theme for Earth Day 2024 is ‘‘Planet Vs. Plastic’’. Plastics extend beyond an imminent environmental issue; they present a grave threat to human health as alarming as climate change. As plastics break down into microplastics, they release toxic chemicals into our food and water sources and circulate through the air we breathe. Plastic production now has grown to more than 380 million tons per year. More plastic has been produced in the last ten years than in the entire 20th century, and the industry plans to grow explosively for the indefinite future. This serves as a rallying cry to address one of our time's most pressing environmental issues - plastic pollution.

• 1 in 3 fish caught for human consumption now contain plastic (Marine Pollution Bulletin)

• It’s predicted that by 2050 there’ll be more plastic than fish in the oceans (Plastic Soup)

• Only 9% of plastic ever produced has been recycled (OECD)

• Around 99% of plastic is made from fossil fuels (Plastic Pollution Coalition)

• 700 species have been affected by plastic pollution (National Geographic)

• Each year, the average American ingests more than 70,000 microplastics in their drinking water. (Earth Day)

Plastic is like a toxic ex! It sticks around way longer than you want it to and it seems impossible to escape! The 4 R’s of sustainability can help you break ties: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

Earth Day reminds us of the role of community in making lasting changes, and we’re so happy to have you as a part of ours! We hope this post has given you some insight into what Earth Day is all about as well as inspiration for how you might celebrate it and get those around you to join in, too. Share your journey, inspire others, and let's make Earth Day 2024 the best one yet! Let’s all do our part in making this a cleaner world for future generations.