Earth Day 2022: How an oil spill in the 1960s led to a global movement to protect the environment

Earth Day 2022: How an oil spill in the 1960s led to a global movement to protect the environment

Earth Day is observed annually to celebrate the planet and encourage people to be more environmentally friendly . Every year more than one billion people get involved, making it the largest civic observance in the world. Activities associated with the day often include planting trees, raising awareness about recycling, volunteering for green projects, and reducing the amount of energy people consume. In the past, Earth Day has also been supported by a host of celebrities, including Leonardo Di Caprio, Emma Watson, Miley Cyrus and Matt Damon. If you are thinking about getting involved this year, this is what you need to know. When is Earth Day? Earth Day is today. It is held on April 22 every year. What is the history of Earth Day? Earth Day was founded by Gaylord Nelson, then a US Senator from Wisconsin, in 1970 after he witnessed the ravages of the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. Inspired by the student anti-war movement, he realised that if he could combine that energy with the emerging public consciousness about the environment, then it could be propelled into the national political agenda. April 22 was picked as the date for Earth Day as it fell