Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 every year. It is a global event focused on environmental protection and raising awareness about climate change all throughout the world.
Earth Day first began in 1970 and was created by Gaylord Nelson. Nelson was a US senator who wanted to raise awareness about pollution and environmental damage. He focused on harmful events such as oil spills and the smog damage to our ecosystems.
The first ever Earth Day brought together 20 million Americans as they participated in rallies, protests and educational events. These protests were held to demand action from the American government to protect our environment.
In 1990, Earth Day went international and is now celebrated in over 190 countries. Every year over 1 billion people gather worldwide, making it one of the largest global events in the world.
Earth Day varies in theme each year as well. Climate action, plastic pollution and deforestation are common issues that are highlighted each year.
One major event that was held this year in honor of Earth Day was the Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival, held on April 25–26, at Alameda Park in Santa Barbara. This was a weekend-long event that featured eco-friendly vendors, educational exhibits and one of the largest green car shows on the West Coast. The event is free to attend and has attracted over 30,000 attendees and included over 150–200 eco-friendly exhibitors.
The theme of the festival this year was “Our Power, Our Planet,” which encourages people to take responsibility for protecting the Earth with even the smallest actions.
Lucas P. (10) shares his experience at the event, saying, “It was super interesting to see so many people gathered in one place with the same goal in mind which is to help our planet.”
He also shares, “The car show was my favorite part because I got to test drive one of the full cell vehicles and it was a super unique experience.”
The festival is a yearly event and is organized by the Community Environmental Council.
When asked, a majority of students weren’t aware that it was Earth Day; they shared how they don’t celebrate in any specific way.
Michelle D. (10) was a standout student, however, as she shared how each year she participates in local beach and community cleanups to celebrate Earth Day.
Michelle shares how “we have the privilege here in America to live and breathe freely without any huge environmental restrictions so it’s our job as humans to make sure that this way of living can be protected and passed down.”
She also shares how “many people all throughout the world don’t have the access to a clean environment or basic necessities such as clean water so we must do our best to ensure everyone will be able to live freely without any restrictions.”
She encourages other students to participate in local events even when it’s not Earth Day because she feels protecting our earth goes beyond just one global event.
