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A little pop quiz: if we asked you what day it was today, what would you say? A) Tuesday; B) the day before St Georges Day; or C) Earth Day?
It's actually secret option D) -- all of the above. The point is, how many of you are now asking yourselves what Earth Day is? We're guessing quite a few.
So what is it? Time for a little American history: in 1969, Senator Gaylord Nelson announced in Seattle a nationwide environmental protest for the following year. He wanted to bring environmental issues to the forefront of political and public consciousness.
On 22 April, 1970, the first Earth Day and the modern environmental movement as we know it were born. Around 20 million Americans took part in peaceful demonstrations across the country. The result? The formation of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the eventual implementation of many an important US law, such as the Clean Water Act.
From the success of this one day, the Earth Day Network (EDN) was founded, developing Earth Day into a worldwide annual event, and promoting environmental awareness and a healthy, sustainable planet. The EDN now comprises of over 17,000 organisations in over 174 countries, all encouraging "environmental citizenship and year-round progressive action worldwide".
Today, Earth Day is a day of action, with events from Tokyo to LA, Russia to New York and Barcelona to Buenos Aires. It encourages people to do something, however big or small. That could mean cycling to work, greening up your home or office or actively campaigning for environmental policies. This year, unsurprisingly, the focus is on global warming.
So this Earth Day is quite a big deal then, right? Well, yes. But its British profile appears to be low. We asked around some of our favourite green friends (the Soil Association, Abel & Cole, etc.) and no-one is doing anything special for the day. Frankly, we're a bit bummed. But that doesn't mean we should give up. Since it's global, Earth Day has the potential to influence millions of people into acting in a more environmentally responsible way. We should hop on board.
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