Monday marks the 49th annual Earth Day – a global event to celebrate Mother Nature and put environmental issues in the spotlight. This year’s Earth Day, April 22, arrives at a sobering moment in human history. The world is warming faster than ever. The oceans are rising. Thousands of migrants are fleeing environmental disasters. Taxpayers are paying billions to rebuild communities after climate-linked wildfires and hurricanes destroyed them. The Trump administration is unraveling policies designed to protect our health and environment at a stunning pace. And global emissions keep rising.
WHAT IS EARTH DAY?
United States Senator Gaylord Nelson came up with the idea for Earth Day after seeing the devastation caused by the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill, which killed more than 3500 birds off the coast of California.
The first Earth Day, on April 22, 1970, was marked by 22 million Americans who marched to protest against damage done to the environment.
That event led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passing of a raft of environmental legislation.
In the years since, Earth Day has spread worldwide and is now celebrated in more than 190 countries worldwide.
WHAT'S THIS YEAR'S THEME?
The theme for Earth Day 2019 is 'Protect Our Species'. It aims to draw attention to the rapid extinction of species across the world, which is directly linked to human activity which causes climate change, deforestation and pollution.
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