1. Gaylord Nelson, a senator from Wisconsin, founded Earth Day in 1970 to raise public consciousness about environmental concerns such as pollution, oil spills and vanishing wildlife. He tapped into the energy of the anti-war movement, framing Earth Day as a “national teach-in on the environment.”
2. April 22 was chosen as the date for Earth Day because it fell between Spring Break and final exams, and organizers wanted to maximize student involvement.
3. Twenty million Americans, or about 10 percent of the country’s population at the time, took part in events and demonstrations on the first Earth Day.
4. The first Earth Day pushed environmental concerns onto the national agenda. That same year, Congress authorized the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
6. The theme for Earth Day 2023 is Invest In Our Planet.
7. Around 1 billion people take part in Earth Day activities around the world every year.
8. In the lead-up to Earth Day in 2023, millions of people worldwide will participate in Earth Hour on March 28. At 8:30 p.m. local time, people will participate in events and demonstrate their commitment to the planet. In past years, Earth Hour gatherings have contributed to real policy changes, including the creation of a marine-protected area in Argentina and environmental protection legislation in Russia.
10. Since the first Earth Day, average annual temperatures in the contiguous United States have been warming at a rate of 0.45°F per decade.
11. Humans today use about 50 percent more natural resources than we did 30 years ago, according to a report from Friends of the Earth.
13. 2019 was the second-hottest year on record worldwide, just behind 2016, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
14. Twenty of the warmest years on record worldwide have occurred in the past 22 years, according to Climate Central.
16. Rising global temperatures are leading to more extreme weather events, including more intense wildfires and more frequent, high-intensity hurricanes, according to the Earth Day Network.
17. The world’s population is expected to increase from 7 billion today to 9 billion in 2050, which will only increase the impact of human activity on the environment, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.
19. Food accounts for 10 to 30 percent of a household’s carbon footprint, due to the emissions involved in food production and transportation, according to the Center for Sustainable Systems.
20. U.S. automobile fuel economy increased 24 percent between 2004 and 2017.
22. Electronic devices plugged in on “standby” mode can account for 5 to 10 percent of a household’s energy use.
23. Using a dishwasher is more eco-friendly than hand-washing dishes, according to a recent study from the University of Michigan.
24. Nearly 80 percent of all plastic waste ever created by humans is still in the environment, according to Recycle Now.
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