Celebrating Earth Day 2023

When is Earth Day? On Saturday, April 22, 2023 we celebrate the 53rd annual Earth Day, a day dedicated to environmental causes worldwide. 

Earth Day is also known as International Mother Earth Day, World Earth Day and International Earth Day. No matter what you call it, it's celebrated around the world on April 22 to raise awareness for environmental issues. But what is Earth Day all about? In this article, we tell you what Earth Day means. 

What Is Earth Day?

Earth Day reminds us of the interdependence of all living things, including human beings, and the planet on which we live. 
The purpose of Earth Day is to raise public awareness for environmental issues and promote more sustainable lifestyles in order to protect the Earth for future generations. Earth Day is designed to raise awareness in order to make environmental protection a priority for local, national and international political institutions and encourage all citizens to take action to protect the environment. 

Who Invented Earth Day?

Gaylord Nelson, a Senator from Wisconsin from 1963 to 1981, started the first Earth Day in 1970. Concerned about the impact of 150 years of industrial development, and inspired by the American pacifist movement against the Vietnam War, he decided to plan a series of university lectures to raise young people's awareness for the environment. 

He recruited Denis Hayes, a young environmental activist, to help plan this day of conferences in honor of the Earth. Called “Earth Day”, tens of millions of Americans from all walks of life across the country tuned into this event on April 22, 1970. It is now considered the birth of the environmental movement.

Earth Day became a global event in 1990. Hundreds of millions of people in 141 countries took action to bring the environment to center stage. Today, Earth Day is observed by over one billion people every year. 
 Why Is Earth Day On April 22?

April 22, 1970 was chosen for the first Earth Day planned by Senator Gaylord Nelson because it was on a weekday between Spring Break and exams. The goal was to get as many students involved as possible.

How Can I Celebrate Earth Day?

"Take action for the planet and support environmental organisations across the country." This is the slogan of the Earth Day 2023 campaign in France, and a clear answer for anyone unsure of how to celebrate Earth Day 2023. 

Celebrating Earth Day is an opportunity to take action to preserve the planet. Here are a few examples:
- volunteer with an environmental organisation
- take part in a peaceful demonstration
- consume responsibly (buy local, eat less animal products, etc.)
- Adopt new, more conservative habits (carpooling, taking public transport, limiting air travel, recycling, composting, etc.)
- support environmental organisations (volunteer, make a donation, attend events, etc.)
- join projects (beach clean-ups, tree planting in the forest, etc.)
- take civil action. It starts at the ballot box and can continue in a variety of ways (petitions, peaceful demonstrations, social media, etc.)
get involved in local politics by attending city council meetings and submitting proposals for environmental projects. 

For more ideas for schools, businesses and towns, click here.

For more information on Earth Day, visit JourdelaTerre.fr or Earthday.org. For more information on the environmental impact of our food, travel and housing (in French), go to Datagir, the website of ADEME (Agence de la Transition Écologique).