Now celebrated internationally as Mother Earth Day, the first-ever Earth Day was declared on April 22, 1970, in the United States. A response to several cultural factors, including the bestselling Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson, Earth Day is cited by some as the birth of the modern environmental movement.
In marking the day, the UN describes the international observance in these terms: “Mother Earth is a common expression for the planet earth in a number of countries and regions, which reflects the interdependence that exists among human beings, other living species and the planet we all inhabit.
“The Earth and its ecosystems are our home. In order to achieve a just balance among the economic, social, and environmental needs of present and future generations, it is necessary to promote harmony with nature and the Earth.
“International Mother Earth Day is celebrated to remind each of us that the Earth and its ecosystems provide us with life and sustenance.
“This Day also recognizes a collective responsibility, as called for in the 1992 Rio Declaration, to promote harmony with nature and the Earth to achieve a just balance among the economic, social and environmental needs of present and future generations of humanity.
“International Mother Earth Day provides an opportunity to raise public awareness around the world to the challenges regarding the well-being of the planet and all the life it supports.”
Read more about the planned observance here.
(Photo courtesy of the United Nations.)
