World Earth Day

Earth Day was established fifty years ago. It is celebrated every year on April 22. It has become the world's largest civic event related to concern for the environment. It reminds us that we only have one planet and we need to care for it every day.

We can celebrate Earth Day thanks to the actions of two Americans. First of them is Gaylord Nelson, a senator and environmental activist, who in September 1969, at a conference in Seattle, proposed to organise a nationwide demonstration against environmental destruction. When Gaylord spoke in front of other senators, the California beaches were still being cleaned up after an oil well exploded off the coast of Santa Barbara in January. The coast was contaminated by oil spill from the damaged platform, thousands of animals were killed, and the natural environment was devastated. "The resulting explosion was so powerful that the seabed cracked in five places and the oil spilled at the speed of 1000 gallons (3785 litres) per hour for a month before the process could be slowed down," wrote Los Angeles Times about the catastrophe.

The idea of Gaylord Nelson was joined by environmentalist John McConnell. It was him who, at the UNESCO conference on environmental protection, presented the idea of establishing Earth Day. Ultimately, the holiday is celebrated since 1970. When on 22 April 1970, 20 million Americans came out on the streets for the first time to demonstrate their support for actions aimed at taking care of our planet, it proved that the idea was needed and people want Earth to be treated with more respect.

The main theme of this year's celebration is climate action, recognised as the most urgent problem that our planet is currently facing. "Earth Day 2020 must become a historic moment when citizens of the whole world will face the climate crisis and work together to improve the climate", we read at earthday.org.

In 2016, the United Nations chose Earth Day as the date of entry into force of the historic Paris Agreement on climate change, signed by 195 countries. This global plan is supposed to protect our planet from the disastrous effects of climate change. Despite the fact that this year's Earth Day, celebrated during time of pandemic, will be out of necessity "digital", there are many actions that each of us can undertake to care for the environment, such as saving water that we use for drinking, washing, cleaning, garden maintenance.

Water on Earth is our common and most valuable asset. Let us remember this not only on April 22, but every day.