Earth Day, the importance of loving nature

6 months and 17 days to go until Earth Day! Let’s save the planet!

We have heard multiple times about the importance of the environment and the need to take care of issues like climate change. Did you know that there is a day devoted to this type of problem? It’s Earth Day, and it takes place on April 22nd each year. But why is it celebrated? What do we do on this very special date? We will answer those question... Show more

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Symbols

Help our planet and learn more about different Earth Day symbols like green leaves, recycle arrows, the Ecology Flag or the Earth itself

Green leaf

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Recycle arrows

Ecology flag

The importance of green leaves as symbols for renewal and hope

Earth day is about taking care of our planet. Is there any better way to represent the importance of nature and sustainability than doing so using a green leaf? Green leaves also convey a sense of hope in the future, development and renewal. Aren’t these in line with the aims of Earth Day? But green leaves are not only to be seen representing Earth Day. They have been widely used in paintings, jewelry, literature, architecture… There is no doubt: we depend on nature, and nature depends on us. Green leaves are a way of reminding us about the importance of reaching a balance and taking care of the environment. A leaf means a compromise between human beings and mother Earth.

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Let’s learn about the most powerful symbol for life: Earth, our planet

As we celebrate Earth Day today, the main symbol representing this is, of course, Earth, our planet. It is the only planet known to harbor life and, as such, it represents much more than our home. It has to do with a process of growth, nurturing, groundedness and nature. It’s the third planet from the Sun and it contains a lot of water, which means that it is the cradle of life. Earth has been represented in many different ways, using different symbols. Its importance has been reflected in the I Ching, in alchemy, in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs… Earth has even been adopted as a symbol of power in cases such as the globus cruciger, a Medieval symbol used in many iconographies!

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The recycle arrows and the importance of reusing resources

One of the most well-known Earth Day symbols is the recycle arrows. This design was invented, as the Ecology Flag or even the Earth Day, during the 1970s. It was created by Gary Anderson, a student at the University of Southern California. Thanks to this design, Anderson won a contest that was part of the International Design Conference. This symbol was based on the Möbius strip, but Anders recreated it using three arrows conforming a triangular shape. The idea was to represent a process with three steps. The first one is recycling different materials. The second process would be manufacturing new products made up of recycled goods and the third one, to acquire those products.

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The Ecology Flag: a green standard bearer for ecologists

The Ecology flag was born during the 1970s, when the first Earth Day took place. It’s similar to the USA flag, although it displays green and white bars and, instead of stars, this flag contains a sort of theta, the Greek letter. This was achieved due a superposition of letters “e” and “o”, standing for environment and organism, respectively. Letter theta has also been connected to the word death in Greek, thanatos. Betsy Boze created this flag in 1970, when she was just a high-school student. She became an academic some years later.This first version displays a theta instead of the superposition we have noted above.

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Color palette

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Verdun green, the hue of grasslands that is full of hope

The healing power of nature is to be found in Verdun green. Verdun is a city in the northeast part of France and it is known because of two great battles that took place in 1792 and 1914, but also for its scenery. Verdun is a very green city: the landscape is filled with fresh grasslands and meadows. and cemeteries invaded by vegetation and trees, many trees. Even the Meuse, the river, seems to be painted in Verdun green. Earth Day is represented with this type of color because it’s a way of emphasizing the power of nature. It’s also the tone of hope: the hope for a better future for the environment, for us as human beings, and for Mother Earth.

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Hill lands, the natural light of a yellowish green

Hills lands, also called sushi for some, is a vibrant color. It’s a yellowish green tone that creates energetic designs. This hue is perfect for the Earth day palette because it evokes a feeling of renewal. It’s the hue of sprouts, fresh cut grass, and youth. This type of green it’s also connected with wealth–dollar bills are green, for example. In the health arena, it’s usually employed to raise awareness for mental health conditions like childhood depression or mood disorders, but also for muscular dystrophy and Lyme disease. Earth Day is about celebrating nature and its beauty. Unleash your strength with this bright hill lands green and protect the environment.

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Enjoy the pleasures of nature adding a stroke of mustard

Mustard is an elegant color that gives a touch of life to everything: food, paintings, home decor, clothes… Mustard is pure dynamism, and it will help you represent your happiness and pure energy. It’s a welcoming tone due to its warmth, and it has been widely used to depict pleasing feelings such as happiness, glee, and inner satisfaction. Blissfulness goes hand in hand with mustard! Being a little bit darker than yellow, it is the tint of culture and tastefulness as well. Mustard is the color of many flowers, the Sun, and the enjoyment of nature. Take a moment to appreciate the tones of sunbeams and celebrate Earth day adding touches of mustard to your life.

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Azure radiance, enjoying the purity of oceans

Earth Day won’t be the same without celebrating the importance of seas, rivers, and oceans. Azure radiance is the color of water: it’s the tone of the cradle of life. This type of blue is great for an Earth Day color palette: it has to do with nature itself, but also with responsibility, trust, security, and peace. All of them are necessary to improve the environment and to reverse the consequences of air or water pollution, among others. Apart from that, azure radiance is a hue associated with relaxation, both physical and mental, and serenity. Give some love to our planet and embrace its blue seas and skies.

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Maya blue, a pretty pigment with an amazing history

Maya blue is a very special azure pigment. It has been used in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica for centuries. It was created by mixing indigo dyes with palygorskite, which is a natural clay that is very abundant in Mexico. This pigment was famous because of its durability: it didn’t fade away, so it was very cherished at the time. Maya blue is an example of the permanence of natural materials, so it’s a great hue to add to any design related to nature and Earth Day. It resembles the color of the sky and it also conveys powerful emotions like calmness, peace of mind, integrity, lightness, and serenity.

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Four interesting facts about Earth Day to understand the most important day for taking care of our planet

We already acknowledge the importance of taking care of the environment and raising awareness about issues like climate change, our future and the future of the next generations. Nevertheless, giving nature such a predominant place has not been an easy task. It has taken years and a lot of effort. One of the greatest achievements in human history has been the creation of Earth Day, a celebration designed to make the difference. It began in 1970 thanks to a young activist, Denis Hayes. Year after year, Earth Day gathered more and more people–and more than 141 countries. Today we are going to learn more about the historical milestones that consolidated this date and some interesting facts about Earth Day.

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1970

The very first Earth Day

The largest protest in history

The very first Earth Day took place in 1970, but let’s learn about its origins. In 1969, John McConnel, an activist, proposed the establishment of an “Earth Day” at a UNESCO Conference. That petition was heard. Gaylord Nelson, a US senator, hired Denis Hayes, an activist, to create Earth Day just one year later, in 1970. This way, the very first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22nd. The initiative was a huge success, as it turned into a mass protest! More than 20 million people attended. Isn’t it amazing? The first Earth Day only took place in the United States, but it changed over the years.

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1990

Turning Earth Day into an international event

Celebrating Earth Day in 141 nations

Denis Hayes , the activist who initiated Earth Day, made it international in 1990. 141 countries took part in the celebration, which translates into 200 million people trying to fight to preserve the environment and to achieve a sustainable lifestyle. Earth Day 1990 focused on key issues like recycling, and it also helped establish certain initiatives and issues for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), as for example the replacement of fossil fuels for alternative sources of energy, protecting oceans or the limited supply of water. Discussions to save the planet were not only a matter of seminars and protests on Earth Day 1990. A television special was aired that very day (The Earth Day Special.) Also, the band 10,000 Maniacs played in Washington DC. It was a benefit concert during Earth Day 1990.

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2000

Earth Day and the new millenium

Internet and activism

By 2000, Earth Day congregated people from 184 different countries and 5,000 environmental groups. In this case, the internet played an essential role, as it was a great tool to organize activities and activists from different countries. Many different activities took place during Earth Day 2020. Let’s see a couple of examples: in Gabon (Africa) a drum chain that went from village to village helped raise awareness on ecology. In other places like the United States, people asked for a First Amendment Rally protesting at the National Mall (Washington, DC.) And those were not the only actions that citizens took, there were many more.

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Today

Celebrating Earth Day today

The beginning of a new (and green) era

Earth Day has a paramount importance nowadays. 17,000 members and millions of people are part of the Earth Day Network. More than 190 countries are engaged with Earth Day and its targets. Isn’t this a huge collaborative achievement? It’s the greatest non-religious event in the whole World. People continue organizing activities and raising awareness by means of webpages, seminars, talks or campaigns, among others. Earth Day has led to many agreements and laws on climate change passed. In fact, the United Nations signed the Paris Climate Agreement on Earth Day 2016. This agreement addresses many points: the aim to limit global temperature, decrease greenhouse gas emissions or to conserve and enhance sinks and reservoirs.

Celebrating Earth Day around the World: cultural and environmental activities to create a cooperative and sustainable society

Earth day is the most important day for our planet. It has helped raise awareness on climate change, recycling, taking care of forests or endangered species, for example, although there have been many more causes. Each of the countries involved organizes different activities to celebrate this day. If you continue reading, you’ll discover more about Earth Day in the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, India, Switzerland and Canada. Let’s go!

United States

Earth Day in the United States. Earth Day was established in the United States, so it’s an important day for this country! There are many events to increase public awareness. Each city (and even each school) prepares different activities! In New York there is an increasing number of sustainable shops and stores. Other cities like Washiton focus on seminars. In Washington, the Goethe Institute organizes a sustainability forum. The National Whistleblower Center does something similar to give information about the Climate Corruption Campaign. There is also an effort for removing non-native invasive plants at National capital Parks (Washington.) In Long Island, New York, there are also several festivities that are organized by the faculties, college staff and students. For their part, in Hoboken (New Jersey) SeaSmart teaches about the importance of oceans, coral reefs and so on. Isn’t it great?

Japan

Earth Day celebrations in Tokyo. How does Japan celebrate Earth Day? The Japanese take it very seriously. Although Earth Tokyo began in 2001, they have promoted many initiatives to preserve the environment. And they even celebrate Earth Day for two days, April 21st and 22nd! It’s usually held at The Yoyogi Park, in Tokyo. What sort of activities will you find there during these two days? There are food stalls that offer GMO-free and healthy food, concerts, workshops, street markets, activities for children and elderly people… As one of the aims is to make people aware of the importance of taking care of the environment, authorities also offer many different lectures on several matters: peace, sustainable energy, recycling… If you are planning to visit Tokyo soon and you are environmentally curious, go to the Yoyogi park and enjoy nature and trees during Earth Day!

United Kingdom

Celebrating Earth Day in the United Kingdom. There are many Earth Day events in the United Kingdom! Depending on the city, you’ll find live music in the streets, yoga and other activities to raise funds. In London, for instance, there is a 7-week campaign to raise money for Ocean Cleanup Interceptors to help them get rid of the plastic in the sea. There are also talks on sustainability in Soho. In Cambridge, they launched a campaign to take care of trees that have already been planted. They also have online programmes that merge geoscience and philosophy! Isn’t it interesting? The Edgewood Primary School, in Nottingham, encourages students to disperse seeds in surrounding areas, creating a pollinator pathway. Similarly, St. Mary’s School students (Manchester) advocate for environmental change by learning about related scientific facts. In places like Glasgow, they also have discussions on extinct species.

India

The Earth Day Network India Trust. Earth Day is a very influential date in India. They launch many different programs and drive initiatives to take care of the planet. It has become a social movement. The creation of the Earth Day Network India Trust has led to global cleanups, such as the cleanup of river Ganga (more than 10,000kg of rubbish and waste were removed!) There are actions related to trees as well: #Trees4Earth tries to raise awareness among citizens in order to restore natural habitats by planting trees. Likewise, Indians also try to protect their flora and fauna, as there are about 1,000 species that are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List–as the Asian elephant. They also focus on ending the plastic pollution, reducing its use and managing plastic waste. In the same way, the Earth Day Network India Trust also encourages global climate literacy, so people can make educated decisions with regards to the environment.

Switzerland

Celebrating Earth Day in Geneva: planting trees, green sales and much more. One of the major events in Switzerland takes place in Geneva. The International School of Geneva organizes a green sale. Their target is to get money to plant trees on the school playgrounds. They also sell organic food to achieve that and to let people know about the importance of including GMO-free food in our diets. For its part, the Geneva Business School also proposed some actions to#RestoreOurHealth as a way of celebrating Earth day. When a new student begins his or her studies at the Geneva Business School, he or she is given a tree to plant in the forest of the school. There are also actions related to the Earth Day, to nature and its protection during the Geneva Forum. They study, for example, consumption patterns and their direct relation with nature and ecosystems.

Canada

Let’s play outside! For a correct development and growth, children need to play outside. They need to explore, live adventures and enjoy nature. This will create not only healthy kids, but also healthy adults. In Canada they know the importance of playing outside. Sadly enough, because of technology, this activity is endangered. Hence, Canada is devoting Earth Day to enhance the importance of outdoor play. They have created a crowdfunding platform called #Pledge4PLAY and they invite people to post their outdoor play memories on social media. This association is trying to create accessible play spaces that help stimulate children. By doing so, children are able to connect with nature, which translates into adults that will take care of the environment. They raise awareness not only using social media, but also by means of donations and raffles.

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