Earth Day 2012: Celebrate and Participate
Earth Day teaches people how to care for the environment.
1 / 8
What Is Earth Day? - Earth Day is an annual celebration that takes place in more than 175 nations. It seeks to raise awareness and appreciation of the Earth’s natural environment and, in some cases, fragile resources. Earth Day Network coordinates observances globally.(Photo: Antonio Nava/Landov)
2 / 8
When Is Earth Day? - Earth Day is observed on April 22 every year. Many communities also turn it into a weekend or even week — or monthlong — event that includes festivals, rallies and environmental activities.(Photo: REUTERS/Jo Yong-Hak)
3 / 8
Who Created Earth Day? - Sen. Gaylord Nelson (D-Wisconsin) created the concept in 1969 as an environmental teach-in and chose the April 22 date to maximize the participation of students on college campuses. He came up with the idea after what he viewed as an inadequate political response to an oil spill in California that had occurred the year before. The first Earth Day took place in 1970 and was organized by Denis Hayes, who at the time was a graduate student at Harvard University. He is considered a leader in environmental and energy policy. (Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
4 / 8
Does It Make a Difference? - According to Earth Day Network, Earth Day is very effective because it broadens support for environmental programs and activism around the world. One-day activities can turn into lifetime commitments.(Photo: XINHUA/Landov)
5 / 8
How Is Earth Day Celebrated? - In addition to rallies and festivals, communities also organize civic activities such as creating community gardens, recycling drives, environmental education, policy activities and local clean-up efforts. (Photo: Xinhua/Landov)
ADVERTISEMENT