In 2023, Earth Day arrived at the 53rd edition
(sustainabilityenvironment.com) – Earth Day returns this year, the largest environmental event in the world that manages to mobilize 1 billion people. As in previous years, this 53 edition also brings together about 150,000 partners in more than 190 countries to raise awareness of the enormous impact it has on the Planet, its consequences, and how we can remedy it. This last point is linked to the theme of World Earth Day 2023: “we invest in our planet”.
Let’s see how Earth Day was born and why this anniversary is still celebrated today, and what is the topic of the mobilization of 2023.
Why is Earth Day celebrated?
John McConnell, a peace activist, sponsored the first World Earth Day in California in 1969. Following the establishment of various charitable initiatives, McConnell turned to his Christian beliefs to address ecological issues. The activist suggested creating a day when the beauty of the Earth should be honored around the world and nonviolent efforts should be encouraged during the UNESCO convention held in San Francisco in 1969.
McConnell brought attention to a recent incident: in California’s Santa Barbara, an oil leak had harmed the local environment and had a negative impact on many types of marine life, including dolphins, sea lions, and numerous bird species. In order to coincide with Earth Day and the first day of spring, a symbol of rebirth, the plan was then accepted, but the first anniversary was set to occur on March 21 rather than April 22. US Senator Gaylord Nelson stepped in to delay the celebration by a month that same year.
While Earth Day was first celebrated in the United States, it is now celebrated worldwide. It took 20 years before we could host another successful Earth Day, so the trip was not easy. The 1990 global mobilization, which involved 200 million people in 141 nations, had two major accomplishments: it popularized recycling and paved the way for the 1992 Earth Summit, also known as the Rio Conference, which was the first international environmental summit and the source of modern climate diplomacy.
2023 World Earth Day theme: Taking Care of Our Planet
In October of last year, the theme for World Earth Day 2023 was revealed. “We must reunite in 2023 to work together for the earth. Businesses, governments, and civil society all have a duty to combat the climate problem and spark change for a more sustainable, economic, and just future. In the fight for the green revolution and the future health of future generations, we must band together. The time has come to invest in our world”, according to Kathleen Rogers, president of earthday.org.
At the heart of Earth Day 2023 is the green revolution, understood as the only way to ensure a healthy, prosperous and fair future. World Earth Day 2023 comes at the end of the publication of the latest IPCC Assessment Report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The UN has shown how the human footprint is changing the Earth’s climate and the environment in which we live, without sparing any corner of the Planet. He also explained that we are on the wrong trajectory and that at this rate we will have a global warming of 1.5°C by 2032 at the latest, and that this means that the climate crisis will disrupt our lives more than it is already doing now. The imperative is change now.
In this sense, the theme of World Earth Day 2023 collects, amplifies and makes operational the message of the IPCC promoting actions that recall the need for “to move away collectively from the dirty fossil fuel economy and the old technologies of past centuries, and to refocus attention on the creation of a 21st century economy that restores the health of our planet, protect our species and offer opportunities to all”, continue the organizers.