Earth Day 2023: Date, history, theme and significance

Earth Day is observed on April 22 every year. If not on this date, the day is celebrated when the spring equinox occurs around the world. This day is celebrated to honour the environmental movement and raise awareness to protect natural resources. The day is founded by Gaylord Nelson, an American senator. The theme for this year's Earth Day is "Invest in Our Planet." It currently raises awareness about global warming and renewable energy. 

History of Earth Day 

Gaylord Nelson founded the day to mark the celebration of the environmental movement in the 1960s. In 1970, he organised the first Earth Day along with Denis Hayes, a Harvard University graduate. Almost 20 million people across the US attended the celebration. It later strengthened the support for legislation including Clean Air Act which was an update in 1970 and the Endangered Species Act in 1973. After the success of the event, a global earth day was organised by Haynes in 1990 where almost 200 million people from 140 countries attended the event. This became the biggest protest in the history of the United States.  Since then, this day is celebrated every year by more than 1 billion people across the globe. 

Significance of Earth Day 

Earth Day Network, also known as EDN has over 20,000 partners and organisations in 190 countries. Earth Day is dedicated to promoting environmental awareness and protection against climate change. The day gives an opportunity for individuals and communities to come together and participate in activities including cleaning drives, tree plantations, and environmental education programs among others. This day raises awareness about the impact of human activities on the environment. To mark the occasion, Google shared a doodle showing a spectrum of actions one can take in their day-to-day lives which can help in making a "real difference." It also suggested some ways which can help in making an impact against climate change.