today is world earth day… something that the beco family are big supporters of. being the bookworm bunny that i am, i’ve done a bit of research to let you all know a little bit more about earth day…
earth day is celebrated on the 22nd april each year. it marks the anniversary of the modern environmental movement founded in 1970 by gaylord nelson, a former u.s. senator. the goal of this protest was to shake up politics and force the issue of environmental awareness onto the national agenda.
on april 22 1970, 20 million americans took to the streets to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment. the national coordinator denis hayes and his youthful staff organized massive coast-to-coast rallies. thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. earth day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment and led to the creation of the united states environmental protection agency and the passage of the clean air, clean water, and endangered species acts.
by 1990 denis hayes had been asked by a group of environmental leaders to organise a global earth day. 200 million people in 141 countries took part. environmental issues had reached the world stage. recycling efforts worldwide were given a huge boost and the way was paved for the 1992 united nations earth summit in rio de janeiro.
as the millennium approached, hayes agreed to spearhead another campaign, this time focusing on global warming and a push for clean energy. earth day 2000 utilised the power of the internet to link activists around the world. 5,000 environmental groups around the world took part, reaching out to hundreds of millions of people in a record 184 countries.
the message of earth day 2000 was clear. the citizens of the world wanted quick and decisive action on clean energy. earth day this year continues that campaign for a clean and sustainable environment.
there are lots of ways you can get involved in earth day, from organising activities to simple changes you can make to your home and lifestyle. even just switching your light bulbs to energy saving ones or the beco office favourite, buying recycled, can make a huge difference. to find out more visit http://www.earthday.net/node/122.
we hope you all do your bit for earth day 2009… and buying beco is only one great way to do that!
natalie the bunny. x.
