Today is Earth Day — an annual holiday celebrated by more than a billion people across 192 countries. This year’s campaign is “Our Power, Our Planet,” an initiative to triple clean energy output by 2030. To help you harness your personal planet power, EarthDay.org has a plethora of resources for you to get involved on local, national, and global levels. A few of our favorites include:
- The Our Power, Our Planet Toolkit — your one-stop-shop for understanding this year’s theme.
- The Earth Day event finder — search for local events taking place near you.
- The Climate Literacy Communications Toolkit — learn about the key messaging and research behind climate literacy.
Interested in volunteering with a local environmental org in honor of Earth Day? Look no further than Lexington Parks and Recreation and Bluegrass Greensource.
Here are a few must-know facts about the history of Earth Day:
- Senator Gaylord Nelson spearheaded the creation of Earth Day after witnessing an oil spill in Santa Barbara, CA. Under his leadership, the first Earth Day was in 1970.
- The first Earth Day sparked an outpouring of environmental activism, and less than six months later, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the US Environmental Protection Agency were formed.
- Earth Day went global in 1990.
