April 22, International Earth Day - a holiday on a global scale

Date in 2021: April 22, Thursday.

In the endless expanses of the Universe, the Earth, the only known planet suitable for life, has become home for humans. But, unfortunately, humanity, even over its centuries-old history, has not learned to appreciate its generosity. World Earth Day is meant to remind everyone that we are all children of the Earth.

The world of an ordinary person is most often limited to his city, village, region, country. Thanks to the development of transport infrastructure, many have the opportunity to visit the most remote places on the planet. And the possibilities of information technology have made it possible to get acquainted with the most beautiful places without leaving home. But it is quite difficult to perceive the entire planet as a single whole, as your home. And it’s even more difficult to worry about taking care of the entire Earth as if it were your own home. But the immediate future and the future of our children depend on the state of our planet. Therefore, the Earth Day holiday has become precisely that important event that affects everyone, but is held on a global scale.

A little history. What do we know about Earth Day?

Traditionally, the holiday is celebrated in the spring - March 20, on the day of the Vernal Equinox. This date was not chosen by the UN by chance: from this time on, nature begins to awaken and gradually renew itself. On Earth's Birthday, the biological rhythms of the planet change. Since 2009, annual celebrations have also begun to take place on April 22. Earthly days unite representatives of different nations and unite them.

The founder of the holiday

The author of the idea was John Morton, a biologist and public figure from America. At the end of the 19th century. he invited volunteers to get together and plant shrubs and trees together; the goal of the action was to form in people a caring attitude towards nature and the environment.

In 1872, as a UN representative in Nebraska, Morton proposed an official day dedicated to gardening. President Nelson liked the idea and ordered Earth Week to be held throughout the states.

At first, the holiday, called Arbor Day, was held within the state. Soon the action grew into a social movement to protect the environment, and in 1970 it was decided to establish the holiday as an international one.

First experience

The ancestor of the official Earth Day was an event that occurred in America back in 1970. Senator G. Nelson proposed organizing a large-scale environmental event. But he devoted only a narrow circle of students to the details, appointing D. Khvyes as senior among them. Surprisingly, word of mouth worked. The students tried to tell their friends and relatives about the upcoming event, and the information spread further down the chain.

Tree planting

No one expected such a result - millions came out to the environmental event. And this despite the fact that not a cent was invested in the advertising campaign. The largest peaceful demonstration took place, at which people were called to take care of their land, like their own mother, and to unite, like siblings. Such calls were written on self-made posters and banners.

Exactly a year later, the action was repeated, but residents of other regions of the country had already joined it. And environmental activities themselves received a broader meaning. In addition to rallies, student evenings and school matinees were held, trees were planted and parks and forests were cleaned, thematic conferences were organized, and widespread publications appeared in the press.

As practice has shown, there were more and more people willing to take part, but the number of important cases did not decrease. Therefore, Earth Week was declared, which takes place in the third week of April. The Americans really liked the idea and, of course, took root.

What is this day for?

Scientists have found that in a few hundred years humanity may disappear. The reason for this is a thoughtless and barbaric attitude towards nature: illegal deforestation, river pollution, depletion of natural resources.

With the beginning of the technical revolution, the natural balance was disrupted. Due to the destruction of forests, air quality is deteriorating. Human activity leads to the death of fauna and flora, and at the same time to the destruction of the entire planet. The international holiday Earth Day makes humanity think about the future of the planet.

Regularly during the celebration, they call on all caring people to make their contribution: remove garbage, plant a tree or flower. Every person can do something useful: become a volunteer, give up using a car for a day, use resources carefully.

International significance. Holiday without borders

Every year, scientists from different parts of the world gather around the same table to identify global environmental problems and find ways to solve them. They call on residents of all continents to be responsible for the environment, preserving life on the planet. World Earth Day is celebrated in many countries around the world.

April was chosen for International Mother Earth Day because in many countries at this time warming begins, the soil is freed from snow cover, and the first greenery emerges. This ensures quick germination of seeds just planted by volunteers.

On this day, large-scale environmental and conservation actions and events, symposiums, marathons, charity concerts, and flash mobs are held everywhere. Peacemakers are making their contribution by calling on people all over the world to be friends.

International Earth Day in Belarus and Russia is celebrated under different mottos. At the initiative of environmental organizations, a list of things to do is being compiled that will benefit not only individual settlements and cities, but will also help preserve the entire ecosystem. Participants of the partnerships plant rare and valuable tree species: oaks, chestnuts on the streets of megacities.

In the Philippines, in honor of the holiday, bicycle races are organized, and seminars are organized aimed at eliminating environmental illiteracy among the population. Large-scale races and sports competitions are held annually in Budapest. In Seoul, highways are empty throughout the day.

Unique planet

Earth is a planet of unique beauty, consisting of various contrasts. The Earth is constantly transforming without human intervention: powerful volcanic eruptions contribute to the formation of new islands, new species of flora and fauna appear. Traces of past civilizations have been preserved on the planet; ancient structures built by man are surrounded by lifeless deserts. All this makes modern people think about preserving the environment.

Ecology

The holiday promotes respect for the environment. This day reminds us that for normal existence it is necessary to keep the air, water and land clean. The planet turned out to be much more vulnerable than people thought. The threat to its existence is not only large-scale pollution, but also the total destruction of natural resources under the influence of the anthropogenic factor.

Destructive activity

Human activity can eventually lead to a large-scale disaster. Today, scars remain on the surface of the globe caused by the deterioration of the landscape and the devastation of the soil. The issue of preserving such natural objects as:

1. Amazon forests, the area of ​​which is rapidly declining.
2. The Aral Sea is the largest lake, today more reminiscent of a desert.

The Chernobyl disaster causes a lot of discussion. Radioactive emissions caused the premature death of many people.

Such accidents lead to the gradual destruction of the ecological balance, so humanity must make every effort to eliminate their negative consequences.

Where on Earth does it never rain?

The driest place on the planet is Antarctica. Technically, the definition of "desert" is given to places where annual precipitation is less than 254 mm. Some areas of Antarctica have not seen rain for more than two million years. The so-called Dry Valleys - places absolutely devoid of any precipitation and not covered with ice or snow, occupy 2% of the entire territory of the continent.

The second driest place is the Chilean Atacama Desert. Some areas of the Atacama have been without rainfall for 400 years.

How and when is World Earth Day celebrated? Holiday traditions. Events

It’s easy to remember what date the holiday is celebrated. Every year, March 21 and April 22 are dedicated to this event. According to the tradition of the holiday, humanistic events are held in March, and environmental ones in April. International Day is celebrated by people in different ways: some make efforts to eliminate the problems of the world around them, while others have fun by throwing themed parties.

Earth Hour

The Earth Hour event, organized by the World Wildlife Fund, deserves special attention. Traditionally, it is held on the last Saturday of March; on this day, at a precisely set time, people turn off the lights in their homes, as well as in public institutions, museums, and on the central streets of cities. The Eiffel Tower and Times Square are completely immersed in darkness. Every year more than 100,000,000 people voluntarily take part in the event.

Green Marathon

The Green Marathon is organized as part of Earth Day in order to protect the ecology of the entire planet. The action consists of people giving up using cars for the whole day, moving on foot, on bicycles or scooters. Those interested can take part in relay races and competitions. In Russia at this time sports races, cleanup days, and landscaping events are held. Schoolchildren and students are actively involved in the events.

Peace Bell

The first Peace Bell was installed in New York in 1954. Coins, orders, and medals donated for charitable purposes were used to cast it. Similar installations eventually appeared in many other countries. The largest Peace Bell sounded for the first time on March 20, 1970. This ringing calls on earthlings to unite, come to peace and harmony, defending their planet and forgetting about political or religious differences.

Educational events

On this day the following will be organized:

• seminars;
• round table;
• environmental exhibitions;
• conferences;
• debate.

At charity meetings, social and environmental problems are discussed, and measures are taken to preserve endangered animal species.

At the round table there are discussions about how to improve the situation in lagging countries.

Scientists provide their developments on the use of more environmentally friendly fuels and the conservation of natural resources. Biologists give presentations at conferences on the topic of effective environmental management.

Attributes. Symbolism

At the suggestion of American Senator Nelson, the symbol of the holiday became the Greek letter Theta, painted on a white background with green paint. This semicircle resembles the Earth in outline. In addition to pictures, drawings, and symbols, there is a planetary flag that is used at environmental protection events. On the dark blue background of the flag is a photograph of the planet taken by astronauts from space. This photograph is a sign of respect for nature, proof of its beauty and fragility.

Views of the Earth from space. Unique photographs of a unique planet

The Blue Ball is the most detailed image of the Earth to date. The photo is stitched together from many photographs of the planet taken on January 24, 2012. NASA

The sun rises over the Pacific Ocean, illuminating it. Photo taken by astronaut Reid Wiseman on September 2, 2014. NASA

Photo taken on the International Space Station on December 7, 2014 by flight engineer Barry Wiallmore. The Great Lakes, located in the central part of the United States, were captured in the frame. NASA

A photograph of the Earth from the Moon, taken by astronaut William Anders on December 24, 1968, during the Apollo 8 mission around the Moon. NASA

The crew of Expedition 32 aboard the International Space Station with the Southern Lights in the background above the Earth. Photo taken July 15, 2012. NASA

An image of Earth at night, compiled from four photographs taken by ESA's OSIRIS space camera in April and October 2012. NASA

Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti photographed the International Space Station with the Gulf of Aden in Africa in the background. NASA

View of the Earth from space. The photograph includes Africa and its surrounding oceans, and Tropical Cyclone Joalane can also be seen over the Indian Ocean. Photo taken on April 9, 2015. NASA

A view from space of the Morenci Copper Mine in southeastern Arizona, where gold was sought in the 1860s and copper was found. NASA

View of Earth from the window of the International Space Station. Photo taken June 12, 2013. NASA

Holiday in Russia

Russia began celebrating this day in 2009, although similar events were held in the country before that time. Annual conferences and festivals attract people of different ages; the younger generation is increasingly concerned about environmental issues. In different regions of the country, campaigns are being carried out to plant gardens, courtyards, lawns, parks, and improve recreation areas. People loosen the soil, plant shrubs and trees, and remove garbage.

On this day, public environmental organizations invite everyone to join them. New equipment that can improve the environmental situation is shown in museums and exhibitions. Thus, waste processing and recycling devices are highly valued.

In honor of the holiday, concerts and performances are held.

Related holidays

Holidays with similar meaning and meaning are considered:

1. World Water Day.
2. International Habitat Conservation Day.
3. Measures to protect biological diversity.
4. World Oceans Day.

Recently, the auction house Christie's began organizing special auctions marked “To Protect the Earth.” Celebrities and politicians who take part can donate their funds to the environmental organization.

In August, the United States celebrates a holiday dedicated to protecting forests from fires. Its symbol is a bear cub. In China, Arbor Day is celebrated, when residents of the country take up shovels and create new plantings.