Earth Day

People unite on Earth Day to appreciate and respect earth's environment. ©iStockphoto.com/webphotographeer

What do people do

The April 22 Earth Day is celebrated with outdoor performances, where individuals or groups perform acts of service to earth. For example, the Green Apple Festival is a major Earth Day celebration in the United States held from April 18-20, 2008. The weekend event, which features music, will be held simultaneously in Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco and Washington DC.

Typical ways of observing Earth Day include planting trees, picking up roadside trash, conducting various programs for recycling and conservation, using recyclable containers for snacks and lunches. Some people are encouraged to sign petitions to governments, calling for stronger or immediate action to stop global warming and to reverse environmental destruction.  Television stations frequently air programs dealing with environmental issues.

Public Life

Earth Day is not a public holiday and public life, with regard to transport schedules and opening hours for schools and businesses, is not affected.

Background

The April 22 Earth Day, founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson, was first organized in 1970 to promote ecology and respect for life on the planet as well as to encourage awareness of the growing problems of air, water and soil pollution.

Some people prefer to observe Earth Day around the time of the vernal equinox, which occurred across most of the world on March 20 in 2008. In 1978, American anthropologist Margaret Mead added her support for the equinox Earth Day, founded by John McConnell. She stated that the selection of the March Equinox for Earth Day made planetary observance of a shared event possible.

Symbols

Symbols used by people to describe Earth Day include: an image or drawing of planet earth; a tree, a flower or leaves depicting growth; or the recycling symbol. Colors used for Earth Day include natural colors such as green, brown or blue.  

The “Earth Flag”, which was designed by John McConnell, has been described as a “flag for all people”. It features a two-sided dye printed image of the Earth from space on a dark blue field, made from recyclable, weather-resistant polyester. Margaret Mead believed that a flag that showed the earth as seen from space was appropriate.

External links

• EarthDay.gov
• Earth Day Network: Earth Day 2008 Events Worldwide
• Earth Flag

Earth Day Observances

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