Ritu Singh
Earth Day is the day we celebrate our amazing planet and pledge to protect it. Our beautiful planet is constantly being ravaged by human activities and we seem to have forgotten that this is our home. Over the centuries we have mercilessly utilized and depleted the Earth’s resources and thus as a result we have to face Earth`s wrath. This day is a wake up call to enforce some action and bring about a change.
Here are some facts that we all should know about Earth Day:
-Earth Day is an annual event, celebrated on April 22, on which events are held worldwide to demonstrate support for environmental protection.
-April 22, 2014 marks the 44th anniversary of Earth Day. The theme of the 2014 Earth Day is Green Cities inspiring millions of people to create a sustainable, healthy environment by greening communities worldwide.
-This year the Earth Day will be marked by Lyrid meteor shower.It is expected to peak in the early morning on Tuesday, April 22 from midnight until dawn.
-Earth Day began on April 22, 1970, when 20 million people across the United States gathered for increased protection of the environment. Thus began a revolution.
-U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson was the founder of Earth Day who launched a new wave of environmental activism. The idea came to Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, after witnessing the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California.
-President Bill Clinton awarded Senator Gaylord Nelson the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1995 for his role as Earth Day founder.
-In 2009, the United Nations renamed Earth Day and called it International Mother Earth Day.
-Earth Day Network members host 10,000 Earth Day events around the world.
So, on this day, we should realise what a gift planet Earth is. Even any small effort of ours can go a long way in saving the mankind. It is in our hands that we leave behind a healthy and prosperous planet to our future generations and create a peaceful co-existence.
