迪奥香水专柜价格一览表 Earth Day: What is it and why does it matter?

earth day graphic illustration showing the Earth in the center surrounded by trees and a heart shaped cloud in the middle.

Earth Day occurs annually on April 22. (Image credit: leonard_c via Getty Images) Jump to: What is Earth Day? Earth Day theme 2025 Get involved Establishment Earth Day importance Additional resources

Earth Day is a global event held every year on April 22, dedicated to celebrating Earth's natural beauty and raising awareness about protecting our environment.

In the face of alarming phrases like "code red for humanity" and growing concerns about climate change, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and unsure of where to start. However, Earth Day serves as a reminder that small, meaningful actions taken by individuals and communities can create a big impact.

Keep reading to discover more about Earth Day, why it matters, and how you can contribute to a healthier planet through simple changes and local efforts.

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Collaboration or collapse: Why Earth observation must be a global mission A white space capsule approaches the window where this photo is taken from as Earth floats in the background below

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What is Earth Day?Quiz time

How well do you know Earth? Take the Earth Day quizzes to find out.

Earth Day is an annual event that started in 1970 when 20 million Americans — 10% of the population of the U.S. at the time — came together to demonstrate the importance of increasing protection for our planet, according to the official Earth Day website EARTHDAY.ORG.

Nowadays it works with more than 150,000 partners in over 192 countries with 1 billion individuals involved, according to the official Earth Day website. Earth Day celebrates our planet and highlights the need to hold sectors accountable for their role in the environmental crisis.

Photograph of the thin band of blue which is our atmosphere, against the black background of space.

Earth's atmosphere is being affected by pollutants and extra greenhouse gases. (Image credit: NASA)

"Everyone accounted for, and everyone accountable" EARTHDAY.ORG states.

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Environmental problems he become so urgent and widespread, that scientists and environmental organizations alike are saying addressing climate change is more urgent than ever. Jane Goodall, a chimpanzee researcher for the past 60 years, is among those scientists calling for a whole-systems approach to examining how to protect our climate.

"None of us can do it alone. It's quite ridiculous. The problems are huge," Goodall said at the 2021 Nature Conservancy in California Summit, ailable on YouTube.

"We need every single organization that cares about the future of the planet to get together and to work out ways that we can share these small pools of money ailable, and find ways of lobbying those billionaires who he so much money to help us so that we don't he to fight and squabble over funding," Goodall added.

You may like A forest of burnt trees stand on barren ground on a hillside

How the nature of environmental law is changing in defense of the planet and the climate view of Earth from space with the sun rising in the distance

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Earth Day theme 2025

Digital generated image of abstract curve chart made out of concrete old city transforming into green fresh environment with alternative energy on white background. Sustainable city concept.

Together we can advocate for renewable energy in our communities and build a more sustainable future. (Image credit: Andriy Onufriyenko via Getty Images)

Earth Day 2025, marking its 55th anniversary, focuses on the theme "Our Power, Our Planet" calling for a global shift to renewable energy. EARTHDAY.ORG is calling for renewable energy generation, globally, to be tripled by 2030 and urges individuals, businesses, and governments to embrace sustainable energy solutions.

Renewable energy, from sources like solar and wind, is key to reducing reliance on fossil fuels, combating climate change, and improving health outcomes. With 49 nations already generating over half their electricity from renewables, the transition is gaining momentum, offering economic opportunities and creating millions of jobs.

EARTHDAY.ORG emphasizes the power of grassroots activism, encouraging people to advocate for renewables in their communities. The movement envisions a future of accessible, low-cost energy for all, improving living standards and addressing global inequalities.

Join the conversation and take action this Earth Day to support a cleaner, greener planet.

How you can take part in Earth Day

Earth Day events take place in many countries around the world. Consult the official map to see what is taking place close to you.

The official Earth Day website has a list of activities that you can get involved in to be part of the movement. You can also sign up to volunteer with EARTHDAY.ORG, become an Earth Day member and even register your own Earth Day event for people to take part in.

Agencies like NASA he a helpful Earth Day toolkit which includes great resources and Earth Day activities for you to enjoy in the community or at home. The Old Farmer's Almanac also has 10 mini-activities that you can do such as planting flowers to attract pollinating creatures like bees, stopping pesticide use in your garden, and managing your water consumption carefully.

people gather around a series of exhibits. A person in the center is holding a globe up to the audience.

Students examine exhibits at a 2019 NASA Earth Day event in Union Station, Washington, D.C. (Image credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky)When and why was Earth Day established?

A view of a forest looking up from the ground at the dense canopy above.

Planting trees contributes to increasing Earth's canopy of vegetation and helps to fight the climate crisis. (Image credit: NASA)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that 1970 was a very different world for all of us. Not only was there no Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, nor even an EPA, but overall, "there were no legal or regulatory mechanisms to protect our environment," the agency states.

Americans and others, however, were already aware of the toll on the environment that chemicals were taking. Events such as the publication of Rachel Carson's book "Silent Spring" (1962) which showed the environmental effect of chemicals, and a 1969 oil slick fire on Cleveland's Cuyahoga River, both caught a lot of public attention, according to History.com.

That began to change in 1969, when Senator Gaylord Nelson (D.-Wis.) borrowed from the idea of anti-Vietnam War "teach-ins", or discussions, on campuses across the United States, History.com added. Nelson, an environmentalist, wanted to adopt the same type of grassroots approach to protecting the environment. It was Nelson who first announced the concept of an Earth Day in the fall of 1969, and following massive public support, the first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970.

My primary objective in planning Earth Day was to show the political leadership of the nation that there was broad and deep support for the environmental movement," Nelson, who died in 2005, said in 1980.

"While I was confident that a nationwide peaceful demonstration of concern would be impressive, I was not quite prepared for the overwhelming response that occurred on that day," Nelson continued.

"Two thousand colleges and universities, 10,000 high schools and grade schools, and ... more than 20 million Americans participated in one of the most exciting and significant grassroots efforts in the history of this country."

the surface of the moon is in the foreground of the image while a small blue 'marble' which is Earth appears in the background against the black backdrop of space.

The iconic view of Earth known as "Earthrise" was first captured by astronauts during NASA's Apollo 8 lunar-orbiting mission on Dec. 24, 1968. The photograph is often associated with propelling the environmental movement that led to the establishment of Earth Day in 1970. (Image credit: NASA)Importance of Earth Day Related stories:

– What makes Earth unique?

– What is the erage temperature on Earth?

– Earth Observing System: Monitoring the planet's climate

While protecting our planet has always been a theme of Earth Day, that call for coverage is becoming more urgent by the year. In August 2021, worldwide scientists released the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report, which is a state of affairs of human-caused climate change.

This latest report was so alarming that António Guterres, the United Nations secretary-general, termed it "a code red for humanity." Guterres noted that the IPCC has been asking for years to limit global warming worldwide to 1.5 degrees Celsius. As of the 2021 report, the erage is already 1.2 degrees.

"The alarm bells are deafening, and the evidence is irrefutable: greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel burning and deforestation are choking our planet and putting billions of people at immediate risk," Guterres added in the statement.

"Global heating is affecting every region on Earth, with many of the changes becoming irreversible ... The only way to prevent exceeding this threshold is by urgently stepping up our efforts, and pursuing the most ambitious path."

While experts sometimes disagree about the impact of climate change, the fact that it is happening and the fact that it is caused by humans is fully agreed upon by the climate community. The IPCC is one tool by which experts seek to minimize and manage the damaging effects of climate change, which are sure to continue for many more decades at the least.

To take a single aspect of global change monitoring that feeds into IPCC reporting, we can point to the value of Earth-observing satellites observing the effects of climate change from space.

Satellites can see the impact of wildfires, melting ice, seasonal warming or shifting, increasing floods and other effects of climate change. Decision-makers use satellites and artificial intelligence to predict crop yields, sea levels, extreme weather like tornados and other effects with direct impacts on humans and the ecosystem.

a monotone image showing huge wes crashing down over a wall.

Wes crashed over Newhen Harbor wall in Newhen, southern England on Feb. 18, as Storm Eunice brought high winds across the country. Powerful storms such as this are becoming more frequent due to human-induced climate change. (Image credit: Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images)Additional resources

Learn more about the first Earth Day with the Library of Congress.

The European Space Agency has a list of Earth Day projects and activities ailable for the public. Explore a variety of Earth Day lessons and activities from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Bibliography

Earth Day.org, "Earth Day", 2023, earthday.org

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, "Sixth Assessment Report", Aug. 9, 2021, https://www.ipcc.ch/assessment-report/ar6/

NASA, "Earth Day 2022", April 8, 2022, https://www.nasa.gov/earth-day-2022

United Nations, "Secretary-General's statement on the IPCC Working Group 1 Report on the Physical Science Basis of the Sixth Assessment", Aug. 9, 2021, https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/secretary-generals-statement-the-ipcc-working-group-1-report-the-physical-science-basis-of-the-sixth-assessment

United States Environmental Protection Agency, "The First Earth Day in April 1970", July 15, 2021, https://www.epa.gov/history/epa-history-earth-day

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Daisy DobrijevicReference Editor

Daisy Dobrijevic joined Space.com in February 2022 hing previously worked for our sister publication All About Space magazine as a staff writer. Before joining us, Daisy completed an editorial internship with the BBC Sky at Night Magazine and worked at the National Space Centre in Leicester, U.K., where she enjoyed communicating space science to the public. In 2021, Daisy completed a PhD in plant physiology and also holds a Master's in Environmental Science, she is currently based in Nottingham, U.K. Daisy is passionate about all things space, with a penchant for solar activity and space weather. She has a strong interest in astrotourism and loves nothing more than a good northern lights chase!

With contributions fromElizabeth HowellFormer Staff Writer, Spaceflight (July 2022-November 2024)