Earth Day is celebrated every year on 22 April with the aim of raising awareness about the protection and conservation of the planet’s natural resources. The anniversary was established in 1970 by the United Nations and today is celebrated around the world.
Earth Day is an opportunity to think about the environmental challenges that the planet is facing and to take stock of the role of mankind for the protection of Earth. The event aims at raising the responsibility of governments and public opinion on environmental issues, as well as the assessment of the most pressing issues concerning the planet.
Mankind is, directly and indirectly, responsible for all problems affecting the planet: air, water and soil pollution, ecosystem destruction, the thousands of plants and animal species that are disappearing, the depletion of natural resources and non-renewable resources (coal, oil, natural gas).
At the same time, climate change has an impact on humanity: it is increasingly damaging economies, increasing poverty, subtracting wealth and job prospects and impacting all of us. Like environmental issues, their solutions must also start from us. These include the recycling of materials, the conservation of natural resources such as oil and fossil gasses and the use of renewable resources, the prohibition of harmful chemicals, the cessation of the destruction of fundamental habitats and the protection of threatened animal and plant species.
Its history
Every year on April 22, Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. It’s a day when people around the world come together to celebrate our planet and advocate for its protection and preservation. But how did Earth Day come to be?
The seeds of Earth Day were sown amidst a growing awareness of environmental issues in the 1960s. It was a time when concerns about pollution, habitat destruction, and the loss of biodiversity were starting to gain traction in the public consciousness.
One of the pivotal moments leading up to the first Earth Day was the publication of Rachel Carson’s groundbreaking book, Silent Spring, in 1962. Carson exposed the environmental impact of pesticides and her work captured the attention of the nation and sparked widespread concern about the health of our planet.
Additionally, the 1969 oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, served as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of industrial pollution. The images of oil-soaked beaches and wildlife struggling to survive galvanized public outrage and mobilized activists to demand action. In this climate of growing environmental awareness, various grassroots groups and individuals who had been fighting against different environmental threats independently, started to protest together against oil spills from ships, polluting factories and power plants, toxic waste dumps, pesticides, highways cutting through pristine landscapes, and the alarming decline of wildlife populations.
The realization dawned that these issues were not isolated incidents but interconnected parts of a larger environmental crisis. It became evident that collective action was needed to address the root causes of environmental degradation and advocate for sustainable solutions. Thus, on April 22, 1970, millions of people across the United States took to the streets to participate in the first Earth Day. Inspired by the growing environmental consciousness of the time, they united around shared values of environmental protection and conservation.
Since then, Earth Day has grown into a global phenomenon, with billions of people around the world coming together each year to celebrate our planet and advocate for a sustainable future.
Its evolution over the years
Over time, Earth Day has involved institutions as well, as dialogue and collaboration between nations are needed to address global environmental challenges. It is no coincidence that the United Nations chose Earth Day to sign the most significant climate agreement in the history of the climate and environment movement: the Paris agreement, in 2016.
Today Earth Day is also an educational and informative event. The educational and outreach initiatives promoted during Earth Day work to impact public awareness and the adoption of sustainable behaviors by individuals and communities belonging to both old and new generations.
Planet vs Plastic: the theme for Earth Day 2024
Each edition of Earth Day has a different theme. The 2024 one is: «Planet vs Plastic». With only 16% of plastics and plastic packaging being recycled, the majority finds its way to landfills, incineration sites, or ends up in our rivers and oceans.
The plastic pollution crisis is not just a threat to marine life: it is a significant contributor to climate change. As our demand for plastics continues to rise, it is imperative to address the entire lifecycle of plastic products, from production to disposal. «The Planet vs Plastic campaign is a call for action, a request for us to act now to stop the spread of plastic and protect the health of every living being on our planet», says Kathleen Rogers, President of Earth Day organization.
In order to achieve the target of reducing plastic by 60% by 2040, Earth Day aims to:
- promote a widespread culture about plastic damage to human, animal and biodiversity health, calling for further research into its health implications and the dissemination of any data on its effects;
- rapidly eliminating the use of single-use plastics by 2030, obtaining the approval of this commitment in the United Nations Treaty on Plastic Pollution in 2024;
- demand concrete policies to combat fast fashion and the huge amount of plastic that it produces and uses;
- invest in innovative technologies and materials to build a world without plastic.
Biodiversity and pollinators: Beeing x Earth day
Earth Day is also an opportunity to think about the threats to biodiversity on our planet, their consequences and what we can do to reverse this trend.
The loss of natural habitats, pollution and climate change endanger many species of plants and animals. Among them, many species of pollinators, such as bees, butterflies and other insects. Pollinators play a vital role in plant pollination and ecosystem health. Promoting the conservation of pollinators not only contributes to biodiversity, but also to food security and the health of the entire planet.
Here, at Beeing, we develop products, services and projects with the mission of protecting bees and pollinating insects, for a positive impact on the biodiversity of our planet. We support beekeeping as bee care, through a program of distance adoption of hives. We make the repopulation of bees in urbanized areas possible with B-BOX, the first urban hive for bee-friendly cities. We protect wild bees with our Bee Hotel, a little wood shelter designed to host solitary wild bees and pollinators during the cold season. We develop and coordinate educational, training and team building projects for schools, universities and companies, designed to raise awareness of the importance of bees.
Let’s celebrate a real Earth Day together: contact us to develop together a project with a high environmental impact for your local community or for your company.