On April 22, 2022 we are celebrating the 52^nd anniversary of Earth Day. The first Earth Day began in 1970, when two San Francisco activists, John McConnell and Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, asked Americans to join a demonstration. It dealt with serious issues concerning toxic drinking water, air pollution, and the effects of pesticides. A grand 20 million Americans protested together. Richard Nixon led the nation in creating the Environmental Protection Agency, which followed with successful laws including the clean air act, the clean water act, and the endangered species act.

McConnell originally had chosen the spring equinox (March 20) to be Earth Day, but Nelson chose April 22, which became the official celebration date.

Today, we not only celebrate Earth Day to increase awareness of environmental problems, but also communities gathering together to clean up litter, plant trees, or simply reflect on the beauty of nature.

In regards to environmental problems, a new climate report released by the United Nations brought more than a thousand scientists out to protest. Demands from protesters are clear: faster, stronger climate action from world governments and an end to the burning of fossil fuels.

NASA scientist Peter Kalmus took part in the protest on the streets of downtown Los Angeles. Kalmus and his colleagues chained themselves to the doors of the JP Morgan Chase building. While chained, Kalmus delivered a plea asking for more people to listen to the scientists of the world, pleading with the crowd, they shouted, “Stop the fossil fuel industry, we have to stop the financing of fossil fuels, stop new fossil fuel projects. The more carbon we put into the atmosphere now the worse everything is going to get.”

According to NASA’s official position on climate change, carbon dioxide from human activity is increasing more than 250 times faster than it did from natural sources after the last ice age.

Celebrate Earth Day and its 52^nd Anniversary by contributing to the health of our planet by simply: reducing, reusing, and recycling. One simple act such as these can contribute to helping save planet Earth. Make Earth Day everyday!