Happy Earth Day 2018

Posted onAuthorDave Burkey

Earth Day is held every year on April 22. Organizers settled on this date as it is in the spring but does not conflict with the religious holidays of Easter and Passover. It is also said that one of the organizers, Julian Koenig came up with the idea of holding it on April 22 as it was his birthday and the word ‘birthday’ rhymes with Earth Day.

Earth Day is an annual event marked across the world to show support for environmental protection. The aim is to encourage people to do things that will benefit the Earth, such as recycling more, using solar power or plant trees. The event takes place around the world and it is described as the biggest secular holiday on the planet.

Earth Day began after a devastating oil spill more almost 50 years ago prompted a group of peace activists to raise environmental awareness. At a UNESCO conference in San Francisco in 1969, peace activist John McConnell proposed that a day should be set aside to honor the Earth and the environment.

He believed that humans had an obligation to protect the earth and share its resources with future generations. The first Earth Day took place the following year in 1970 and marking it were 2,000 colleges and 10,000 schools across the United States. Today it is celebrated in 192 countries across the world by over one billion people.

For 2018, the Earth Day theme is End Plastic Pollution.

Individuals wanting to help make an impact can download an action toolkit and work out how much plastic they’re consuming, then create a plan to reduce it. Organizations can organize an Earth Day Activity day to educate others on their plastic consumption and the impact it has on the environment.

Here are some simple steps you can take to reduce your plastic consumption.