Earth Day took place this past Monday, an annual event celebrated on April 22, focused on environmental protection. Starting in 1970, this annual tradition was founded by Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, after witnessing the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. On the first Earth Day, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums in massive coast-to-coast rallies demonstrating for a healthy, sustainable environment.
It was not until 1990 that Earth Day increased its global presence by mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries and thereby lifting environmental issues onto the world stage. This global movement also prompted President Bill Clinton to award Senator Nelson the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1995 — the highest honor given to civilians in the United States — for his role as Earth Day founder.
Today, Earth Day is an annual global event with an estimated one billion people in over 190 countries taking part in what is the largest civic-focused day of action in the world. Perusing around social media on Monday under “#earthday” and “#earthday2019”, there were countless tweets and pictures of organizations highlighting their commitment to the environment – whether through creating or using more sustainable products to allowing their employees to participate in an environmentally-friendly activity.
Our favorite hashtag we came across was “#earthdayeveryday”. A few years ago, we invested in a bond helping to finance a small business called goddess garden organics. They wrote a blog on this very topic saying that “Every day we get to spend on this earth, we get to enjoy it and all it has to offer. And every day we should set aside a few minutes to look around and notice the beauty around us. The trees, the grass, the birds — even the fact that this earth keeps spinning — is a reason to pause and be appreciative for a moment.”
So as another Earth Day passes, we will look to take a few minutes each day to look around and enjoy the beauty that surrounds us. We are grateful for an official day to appreciate our planet and will also remember #earthdayeveryday the remaining 364 days. We hope you do too.