2015 Earth Day Wednesday April 22,2015

 

In 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets to spread the message of environmental awareness, and in the process created the first ever Earth Day.

The brainchild of the late Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, Earth Day 1970 garnered bi-partisan support and is widely considered to be the beginning of the environmental movement.

The campaign led to remarkable change — generating momentum for the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and the passing of the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act.

In 1990, another big campaign was organized to honor the 20^th anniversary of Earth Day and an estimated 200 million people worldwide participated in the celebrations.

Afterwards, President Bill Clinton awarded Senator Nelson the Presidential Medial of Freedom — the highest honor a U.S. civilian can receive.

To honor what has become a global observance, a new Google Doodle has been created for Earth Day 2015.The doodle features a spinning globe with various animal animations inside the Google letters. With a click, the animation links to a fun quiz where people can find out “which animal are you?”

Earth Day 2015 includes a Cleanup of the Great Wall of China,Beach Litter Removal in Lebanon, and an attempt to protect 25,000 acres of rainforest in Indonesia.