Earth Day 2024: World Earth Day, annually celebrated on April 22, serves as a reminder that everyone has a shared responsibility for the health of the planet and that corporations, governments, communities, and individuals must work together to achieve this goal.
World Earth Day 2024: World Earth Day, also known as International Mother Earth Day, is a globally recognised event dedicated to raising awareness and promoting the sustainability of our planet.
Celebrated annually on April 22, this significant day engages around one billion people worldwide in activities aimed at addressing the climate crisis and fostering behavioural change to protect the environment. This year, Earth Day will fall on Monday, April 22, 2024.
Participating in Earth Day events and activities offers an excellent opportunity to engage in environmental activism and contribute to a more sustainable planet. The themes for each Earth Day vary, focusing on different aspects of environmental protection and sustainability.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 13, Climate Action, and SDG 15, Life on Land, highlight the urgent need for climate action and the preservation of terrestrial ecosystems.
As Earth Day promotes environmental protection and contributes to global efforts to achieve a sustainable and equitable future for all, here’s all you need to know, from its origin to its significance, the theme for 2024, and more.
World Earth Day 2024: Theme
Earth Day, which will be observed on April 22, 2024, EARTHDAY.ORG has announced the theme: ‘Planet vs. Plastics’. (Source: EarthDay.Org)
According to World Wildlife Fund research, global plastic trash production exceeds 380 million tonnes annually, with a substantial amount of it finding its way into landfills, oceans, and waterways.
EARTHDAY.ORG has announced the theme of this year’s Earth Day, celebrated on April 22, 2024, as “Earth vs. Plastic” with the ultimate goal of building a plastic-free future for generations to come. .
It highlights the threat plastics pose to the planet and human health, calling for a 60% reduction in plastic production by 2040 and the elimination of all plastic waste.
To achieve the same, EARTHDAY.ORG has set a major goal:
Widespread public awareness about the harm that plastics cause to the health of humans, animals and biodiversity as a whole and call for further research into its health effects. , including disseminating information to the public regarding its impact.
Rapidly phase out all single-use plastics by 2030 and implement this phase-out commitment in the United Nations Convention on Plastic Pollution in 2024.
Ambitious policies to end the scourge of fast fashion and the massive amounts of plastic it produces and uses, and investment in innovative technologies and materials to build a plastic-free world.
Earth Day 2024: Origins and Meaning
The concept of Earth Day can be traced back to the late 1960s, when public debate about environmental issues was on the rise. Rachel Carson’s seminal book Silent Spring (1962) and the Santa Barbara oil spill (1969) raised awareness of environmental damage.
However, it was not until the United Nations officially recognized the day in 1972 that it was accepted in the United States, after peace activist John McConnell proposed the idea of ​​celebrating a day honoring Earth and Peace at a 1969 UNESCO conference.
On this day, an environmental class taught by Senator Gaylord Nelson and activist Dennis Hayes was introduced.
To maximize student participation, I chose his April 22nd, a weekday between spring break and final exams. Since then, this day has been celebrated every year on April 22nd, regardless of the day of the week. .
Basically, with growing concerns about the environment, the depletion of natural resources, and severe climate change, World Earth Day is more important than ever. It not only raises awareness of growing concerns, but also provides an important forum to raise public awareness of these issues and encourage and inspire people around the world to take action.
This is a reminder that we all have a shared responsibility for the health of our planet and that businesses, governments, communities and individuals must work together to achieve this goal.