This is a day to celebrate the mother of us all--Mother Earth. April 22 marked the 43rd anniversary of this day, with over one billion people in over 190 countries who both celebrated and participated in activities this year. It is in the mainstream of the countries societal structure and started in the radical 1960s. Here are five fun facts about this day.
1. Green Roots
It began because of the Vietnam War. Senator Gayland Nelson, a.Wisconsin Democrat in 1969, saw a way to mobilize a grass roots effort to raise awareness for environmental issues modeled after a Vietnam protesting form known as Teach-ins. Nelsons idea spread throughout the country and then throughout the world.
2. Political Impact
The beginnings of Earth Day focused on political projects and demonstrations. These demonstrations created many environmentally sound organizations such as the Environment Protection Agency authorized by Congress in 1970. It also contributed to the clean water, clean air and Endangered Species Act.
3. Equinox Day
We actually celebrate Earth Day twice. April 22 and March 20, the first day of the spring equinox. This is the cause for the Japenese Peace Bell to be rung at the United Nations headquarters in New York City which is followed by two minutes of silent prayer. The equinox is an appropriate time because of the care and harmony of nature it represents.
4. Global Movements
Earth Day may have began in the 1970s, but it went global in the 1990s. In the 1990s more than 200 million people participated in activities, one billion people celebrated this year within 192 countries.
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