The official date for the celebration of Earth Day is April 22. It was established by the UN General Assembly in 2009. But initially this holiday was celebrated on the day of the spring equinox - on March 21. Earth Day is called upon to pay universal attention to the fragility of the ecosystem of our planet and to make people take care of nature.
History of the International Earth Day
The first "test" celebration took place in the USA in 1970. A well-known American politician Gaylord Nelson created a group of students headed by Denis Hayes for organizing and holding mass events. The first day of the Earth was marked by 20 million Americans, two thousand colleges and ten thousand schools. This holiday became popular and began to be celebrated annually. And in 1990, Earth Day became international, and 200 million people from 141 countries took part in it.
By the 20th anniversary of this day, a joint ascent of Mount Everest climbers of China, the USA and the USSR was timed. In addition, climbers, along with aid groups, collected more than two tons of garbage, which remained on top of Everest since previous ascents.
The Day of the Earth network is also functioning, an international non-governmental organization whose goal is the development of environmental education.
The symbol of the International Earth Day is the green Greek letter Theta on a white background. Also, the Earth has an unofficial flag, which depicts our planet on a dark blue background.
Activities timed to the World Earth Day
Every year many scientists of the world gather on this day to discuss global natural problems. On this day around the world there is a mass of events and actions: cleaning of territories, planting trees, exhibitions and conferences devoted to nature and ecology.
In the countries of the former USSR on April 22, it has long been customary to hold subbotniks and measures to improve parks. All comers went out of the house and helped clear the streets of garbage. Joint work and the cleaning of the territory brought people closer and united.
But the most important event on the International Earth Day is the sound of the Peace Bell in different countries. The Peace Bell symbolizes friendship, brotherhood and solidarity of the peoples of our planet. The First Peace Bell was installed at the UN headquarters in New York in 1954. It was cast from coins donated by children from all over the world, as well as from orders and medals of people of many countries. In 1988, the same Bell of Peace was installed in Moscow.
In Budapest, 2008, a bicycle race was held in honor of the Earth Day holiday, in which several thousand people participated. In the same year in Seoul, the action "Without Cars" (Without Cars) was held.
In the Philippines, in the province of Manila, a protest took place against vegetarians. They promoted vegetarianism for the sake of saving the planet. In the same place, in the Philippines, annual "green" bicycle races "Annual Tour of the Fireflies" are held.
In 2010, the auction house Christie`s on Earth Protection Day held a charity auction "For the Salvation of the Earth", which was timed to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the holiday. Many celebrities took part in the auction, and the proceeds from the auction were sent to the largest environmental organizations:
On the last Saturday of March, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) calls on all inhabitants of the planet Earth not to use electricity for an hour. This event is called Earth Hour. On this day, for an hour, world attractions, such as Times Square, the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Christ the Savior, are misplaced. For the first time it was held in 2007 and received worldwide support. In 2009, according to WWF estimates, more than a billion inhabitants of the planet participated in the Earth Hour.