Like every year, Indians along with the world will celebrate Earth Day 2021. On the occasion of Earth Day 2021, let’s learn about the origin, history and theme of Earth Day. Earth Day is celebrated each year on April 22nd as a day through which all of us can come together in implementing various plans that can curb global warming, pollution and other ecological issues.
Earth Day 2021: Google Doodle inspires people to plant trees
Google doodle on Earth Day
On the occasion of Earth Day, Google also did its part in raising awareness by publishing a doodle on its homepage. The doodle shows an animation in which a woman is seen reading a book under a tree. When one clicks on the doodle, they are shown a video in which a small girl carries a sapling and sows it. The video is made to encourage people to inspire their young ones to plant trees.
Google also wrote, “This year’s annual Earth Day Doodle highlights how everyone can plant the seed to a brighter future — one sapling at a time!”
Earth Day 2021 Theme
The theme for Earth Day 2021 is “Restore Our Earth”. The theme’s primary focus is on innovative green technologies, natural processes, and emerging innovative thinking that can help restore the world’s ecosystem’s balance.
The theme also goes forth into rejecting the ideas that adaptation or reduction is the only way one can address the issue of climate change. The theme suggests that it’s each and every single citizen’s responsibility to Restore Our Earth, not because of the fact that we care about it, but also because we live in it. As we depend on our planet for our livelihoods, survival, health and even happiness, we have to make efforts and Restore Our Earth.
Earth day Origin
The seeds of Earth Day’s origin were germinating in 70s. In the 1970s, Americans were found to be consuming a vast amount of gas through inefficient vehicles. Air pollution was not frowned upon and mainstream media remained ignorant of how pollution can have adverse effects on human health.
During 80s, US Senator Nelson was concerned about the issue of climate change. He recruited a young climate activist Denis Hayes to organize campus teach-ins and conducted various teach-ins. Hayes’ labour didn’t go to waste as he was approached by several environmental leaders to organize a campaign for Earth.
It was then (1990) that the Earth Day was celebrated internationally. Over 200 million people came together across 141 countries to talk more about environmental issues. This helped paved a way for the 1992 UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. For his efforts, Senator Nelson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Since then, he has been considered the founder of the Earth Day.
Earth Day History and Timeline
1970
The first Earth Day was observed by Americans as a call to action for our planet.
1990
The initiative goes international. Over 200 million people come together across 141 countries.
2000
With the digital age and advent of media, Earth Day is recognized by millions of people across 180 countries in the form of local conversations.
2010
The Earth Day network launches multiple projects in the form of Canopy Project and Billion Acts of Green. Over 75,000 partners from across the world are engaged across 192 countries.
2020
The 50th anniversary of Earth Day is observed with the aim to engage a billion people from across the world.
Crazy Facts about the Earth you must know on Earth Day 2021:
1) There weren’t always 7 continents on Earth as today
If you’re asked to close your eyes and imagine all the continents on the globe or world map, we bet you wouldn’t have a problem. Since millions of years, the Earth’s continents have been at the same place as we know them today. However, 800 million years ago, Earth’s tectonic plates quaked and shook to a point that all the continents were condensed into a large supercontinent known as Rodinia. Eventually the supercontinent broke into many parts and recollided again.
Recently (not so recently), 250 million years ago, the continents collided together once again and formed another supercontinent known as Pangaea that was surrounded by a single ocean. However, 50 million years later, the supercontinent broke apart and was broken into two huge land masses. These two land masses broke into 7 continents we know today.
2) The first major climate change Earth faced
Some 800 million years ago, the planet faced a severe climate change better known as ice age. We may know ice age from the cute animation movie. But Ice Age was a far challenging and excruciating phase in Earth’s life. The climate went so cold those scientists are of opinion that almost all of the Earth froze. This triggered into reduction of greenhouse gases such as CO2 and methane.
