By Blair Doucette

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April 18, 2025

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Every year, on April 22nd, we celebrate Earth Day. It’s an important day as we show love and support for our first home, our planet Earth. Earth Day is a day of celebration to raise awareness around some of our most pressing environmental issues – issues like climate change, pollution, habitat loss, and natural resource loss. 

 

History: 

Post WWII, the American economy was booming, with little regard for the toll it was taking on the environment. By the 1960s, we were at an environmental crossroads. For decades, factories with little to no environmental regulations had been churning out pollution so consistently that rivers literally caught on fire. Though this had been happening for a while, it wasn’t until the publication of Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring that the general public took note and began to demand some token of environmental justice. 

 

From there, the movement made its way through the American university system. After a Wisconsin Senator saw the vast damage of an oil spill in California in 1969, he called for a nationwide teach-in to discuss the implications of forgetting to take care of our natural environment and to urge politicians to take action. With the help of activists, this teach-in became the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970. Since its establishment, Earth Day has always had a deep connection to college campuses and in fact, always falls on April 22nd due to this date being between spring break and the end of the academic year. Over 20 million students, teachers, and community members participated in the first Earth Day. It was the largest grassroots movement in US history at the time. 

 

Earth Day’s Legacy: In response to the growing unrest over environmental degradation, Earth Day prompted the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and initiated change in legislation, which resulted in the creation of the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act. Today, Earth Day is celebrated in 190 countries. 

 

Earth Day, Every Day! 

You can celebrate Earth Day every day by:

Celebrating Nature! Appreciate the beauty of nature all around you. Learn about new places across the globe. Take time to look at the small things like the little bugs in a creek. Take time to look at the big things like all the stars in the night sky. 

Perpetuating environmental awareness! Take note of and share about environmental issues that are dear to you. Consider issues like deforestation, climate change, plastic pollution, species loss, etc. 

Taking Action! Participate in a community environmental activity that’s important to you. Join in on cleanups, host a clothing swap to keep clothing items out of landfills, or learn about native plants and their roles in keeping our environment healthy.