Today people all over the world take time out to celebrate and appreciate the Earth that we all share. Some will partake in environmental movements. Others will volunteer in cleaning their towns or conserve water and electricity at home. Maybe you even have some idea of how you can help to make our environment better.
The idea for Earth Day (April 22) came from a former US politician Gaylord Nelson who was worried about pollution and the health of plants and animals. In 1969 he decided that there should be a special day to teach people about what we could do to make our environment better.
This idea quickly caught on and in 1970 the first Earth Day was celebrated. Since then environmentalists have used Earth Day to educate people about their role in protecting our planet.
Earth Day eventually became a global celebration around the world. People gather on this day to take about such matters as global warming protecting endangered animals or preserving our energy resources.