Saturday, April 22, marks the 47th anniversary of Earth Day. People from all over the world will celebrate the earth and work together to promote sustainability initiatives and earth-friendly policies and behaviors.
Earth Day has been celebrated on this date since 1970, when a large oil spill in Santa Barbara, California prompted then-Wisconsin senator Gaylord Nelson to raise awareness about the environment and pollution. He planned to harness the energy from student anti-war protests of the era to bring such issues to the attention of both the public and policymakers. He hoped activists would use Earth Day as a time to work together to create “an environment of decency, quality and mutual respect for all other human beings and all other living creatures,” according to the Dyson College Institute for Sustainability and the Environment at Pace University.
The first Earth Day was a success. The day was filled with rallies across America protesting wildlife extinction, oil spills, pesticides and many other issues that harm the environment. By the end of 1970, the Environmental Protection Agency was created and the Endangered Species, Clean Air and Clean Water Acts were passed, all as a result of people’s awareness of pollution’s devastating effect on the environment.
Twenty years later, in 1990, Earth Day became an internationally-recognized event. The global push focused on recycling around the world. Former President Bill Clinton awarded Senator Nelson the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1995 for creating Earth Day and increasing awareness about the effects of human activity on the planet (all information is from earthday.org).
Earth Day continues to be celebrated around the world. Want to get involved locally? Here are a few free events happening soon.
1.EcoFest will highlight sustainable businesses and organizations in Tampa Bay. It will be held on Earth Day (April 22) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lowry Park bandshell (7525 North Blvd, Tampa).
2.St. Pete Earth Day will be held on the day itself, April 22, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Williams Park. The event will have interactive activities and exhibits that “website
3.A day after Earth Day, Creative Loafing hosts Veg Out!, a festival that celebrates healthy eating and living and teaches visitors how these factors contribute to a healthy planet. It is Sunday, April 23 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Williams Park in St. Pete.
4.The March for Science St. Pete is in Poynter Park on Saturday, April 22. It is one of 515 “satellite marches” that will take place around the world to show solidarity with the organizing march in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to remind participants and observers that science plays an essential role in the modern world and to highlight the importance of research. There are 21 total sister marches in Florida. Other cities include Orlando, Gainesville and Tallahassee.
5.People’s Climate March Tampa Bay is in solidarity with the People’s Climate March on DC the same day. It supports “Tampa committing to 100% clean and renewable energy,” according to the event’s Facebook page. The Climate March takes place a week after Earth Day: it will be next Saturday, April 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Lykes Gaslight Square Park in downtown Tampa.