World Earth Day is being observed today (22).
This year’s theme is “Our Power, Our Planet.”
A range of complex environmental challenges is expected in 2026, including climate change, loss of biodiversity and ecosystems and the accumulation and degradation of industrial waste.
Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970, in the United States.
The observance was pioneered by U.S. Senator and environmentalist Gaylord Nelson and has since expanded globally. Today, it is marked in 193 countries with the participation of more than one billion people.
Following a resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2009, the day was formally recognized with the objective of emphasizing the Earth as a vital system that sustains all life.
The movement was originally driven by public concern over threats to human health caused by air and water pollution, largely linked to excessive resource consumption by industrialized nations in Europe and elsewhere, leading to widespread environmental awareness and collective action.
