Earth Day | 22 Apr 2021

Why in News

Every year, 22nd April is celebrated as Earth Day to raise public awareness about the environment and inspire people to save and protect it.

  • The theme for the year 2021 ‘Restore Our Earth’ examines natural processes, emerging green technologies and innovative thinking that can restore the world’s ecosystems.

Key Points

  • Background:
    • Earth Day was first observed in 1970, when 20 million took to the streets to protest against environmental degradation on the call of US Senator Gaylord Nelson.
      • The event was triggered by the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill, as well as other issues such as smog and polluted rivers.
    • In 2009, the United Nations designated 22nd April as ‘International Mother Earth Day’.
  • About:
    • Earth Day is now globally coordinated by EARTHDAY.ORG, which is a non profit organisation. It was formerly known as Earth Day Network.
    • It aims to “build the world’s largest environmental movement to drive transformative change for people and the planet.”
    • It recognizes a collective responsibility, as called for in the 1992 Rio Declaration (Earth Summit), to promote harmony with nature and the Earth to achieve a just balance among the economic, social and environmental needs of present and future generations of humanity.
    • The landmark Paris Agreement, which brings almost 200 countries together in setting a common target to reduce global greenhouse emissions, was also signed on Earth Day 2016.

Other Important Days

Earth Hour

  • Earth Hour is the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF)’s annual initiative that began in 2007. It is held every year on the last Saturday of March.
  • It encourages people from more than 180 countries to switch off the lights from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm as per their local time.

Source: IE