"Earth Day is the first holy day which transcends all national borders, yet preserves all geographical integrities, spans mountains and oceans and time belts, and yet brings people all over the world into one resonating accord, is devoted to the preservation of the harmony in nature and yet draws upon the triumphs of technology, the measurement of time, and instantaneous communication through space."
- Margaret Mead, cultural anthropologist
Every year on April 22, Earth Day is celebrated to commemorate the first Earth Day held on this day in 1970. Earth Day has since grown to be a global event that is celebrated on April 22 nationally and during the Spring Equinox globally. This annual celebration honors the achievements of the environmental movement and raises awareness of the need to protect the Earths' natural resources for future generations.
Celebrating Earth Day promotes the understanding of important environmental issues and shows that you are part of this global mission. As a result, celebrations focus on thinking globally and acting locally, such as planting trees, cleaning up water sources or helping in a community garden.
Advocacy: Supporters encourage individuals and organizations to meet with elected officials to discuss environmental issues. The online program "Million Acts of Green," for instance, encourages visitors to adopt lifestyle changes such as composting, reducing your carbon footprint, or recycling e-waste.
Climate Change: Supporters raise awareness about climate change, human contribution to those changes, and opportunities to slow the phenomenon. Many Earth Day supporters, for instance, encourage citizens to support the landmark Paris Climate agreement, set to be signed on Earth Day 2016.
Conservation & Biology: Supporters work to conserve the world's biodiversity. On Earth Day 2010, for instance, participants in Sri Lanka planted more than 100 medicinal plants throughout the tropical rain forest at Yagirala Forest Reserve. These plants can be used by local populations and will create habitats for different organisms, enhancing the biodiversity of the island nation.
Education: Earth Day education programs provide educators, students, and the general public with resources and solutions to create a healthier, more sustainable planet. On Earth Day 2010, for instance, teachers and students in the Compostela Valley region of the Philippines participated in a day-long conference. At the conference, they learned about tree planting and care, participated in nature hikes, and presented their environmental action projects to the community.
Energy: Advocates support projects that develop renewable energy sources and technologies as means of transitioning off of nonrenewable sources, such as coal and oil. Citizens of Qatar, for example, are invited to switch off their power for one hour on Earth Day in a symbolic stance against human contributions to global warming.
Food & Agriculture: Supporters raise awareness about some farming practices, such as the use of chemical pesticides, which contribute to environmental degradation. Supporters also advocate for a greater support of organic, local, and sustainable agricultural techniques. Member organizations of this issue group include Articultores, based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which raises awareness about urban gardening and brings citizens and youth together to plant in abandoned sites in cities.
Green Economy: Supporters advocate for the creation of green industries and jobs that are connected to renewable energy sources. For example, the Students in Free Enterprise group in Saskatchewan, Canada, sponsors a prize for student projects that make best use of recycled materials.
Green Schools: The Earth Day Network sponsors the National GREEN Schools Campaign. The GREEN Schools Campaign includes a focus on healthy school lunches, environmental classroom activities, outreach to local and national leaders, and an emphasis on sustainable building techniques.
Recycling & Waste Reduction: Supporters work to reduce the amount of waste that people produce, and increase the amount that we recycle and reuse. The Beach Bunch group of Brunei, for example, organizes beach-cleaning campaigns.
Sustainable Development: Supporters promote environmental practices that respect biodiversity and the natural world. Costa Rica, for instance, has implemented the Viaje Limpio program, in which individuals and companies pay a fee for the greenhouse gases they produce through travel. This money goes to protect the rain forest, water resources, and biodiversity of Costa Rica. Viaje Limpio helps the Costa Rican economy, because biodiversity and the rain forest are important natural assets that bring thousands of tourists to the country every year.
In only 40 years, Earth Day has evolved from a single day celebrating the environmental movement in the United States to a global network that empowers more than a billion people to better understand, protect, and improve the environment.
In 1962 Rachel Carson released her book, Silent Spring, which has became the foundation for what is known today as the environmental movement. It spoke to the pollution of chemicals and pesticides being used in our environment with the chemical companies disregarding public safety and health concerns. This book quickly became a New York Times bestseller and brought public awareness to the increasing environmental concerns of the time.
In the Spring of 1970, Senator Nelson, Congressman McCloskey, and an activist named Denis Hayes were spurred into action following this environmental movement started by Rachel Carson.
Senator Nelson organized a teach-in to educate college students of the growing issues at hand and options that could be done to help rectify the situation. He gathered staff of 85 people nationwide to spread the word about the teach-in. This inspired 20 million Americans to rally in the streets and parks across 2,000 communities nationwide for cleaner air and public safety and health rights.
The nation's politicians were moved into action as a result of the rallies. By the end of the year, several of the environmental protections that are widely known today were created. The United States Environmental Protection Agency was created and they began passing the first of their kind environmental laws. Among those included in these new laws were the National Environmental Education Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the Clean Air Act. By 1972, Congress had passed the Clean Water Act. In 1973, Congress passed the Endangered Species Act. They also reformed the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, which was first seen in 1910. To date these laws have protected people in the millions from illness or death and have protected hundreds of species from extinction.
Today Earth Day is widely celebrated and new issues are brought to light. This year there are multiple events for Earth Day going on in our area that not only help to celebrate but also help to educate and bring awareness to the environmental concerns of our time.
Build with Timber
Design to be Carbon Neutral
Rewilding with Biophilic Architecture
Meeting Passivhaus Standards
Reversible Design
Non-Extractive Architecture
Biomimicry Through Design
Restorative Architecture
Retrofitting
Convince Clients of the Value of Biodegradable Materials
Advocate for the Use of Locally Sourced Materials
Transition from Concrete Frames to Structural Timber
Move Construction Off-Site
Reuse Building Materials
Understand the Environmental Implications of a Project’s Life Cycle
Become More Efficient with Digital Technology
Design for Humans and Nature
