On the first ever Earth Day in 1970, millions of Americans took to the streets in their towns and cities to demand government action on pollution.
Twenty years on and the day is celebrated worldwide, encompassing a variety of environmental causes.
Nasa tipped its hat to technology
Sunday is #EarthDay and we’re celebrating by sharing many of the innovative technologies that help us better understand and protect our home planet. Join the celebration by creating your own shareable views of Earth, using the hashtag #NASA4Earth + more: https://t.co/0Pr2KdSTbq pic.twitter.com/GxI7kvsQpr
— NASA (@NASA) April 22, 2018
From drones analysing coral reefs to mosquito mapping, technological advancement play a big role in helping the agency keep a tab on what’s happening to our planet.
Unicef shared a video of 12-year-old Timochi speaking at the UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn in 2017.
One word. Inspiring.#EarthDay pic.twitter.com/tEEwB9F2jE
— UNICEF (@UNICEF) April 22, 2018
Timochi described the destruction of his home and school on a Fijian Island following a cyclone in 2016 and the impact of the cyclone on the local environment.
“Speeches and talks will not solve the problem, but walking the talk is move effective,” he said.
The UN organisation also launched a climate change comic to celebrate the day.
Happy #EarthDay, everyone! Join us in committing to protect our ?. To celebrate, @UNICEF just launched the TRE comic book from 21-year-old Sona Sridhar of India, who won their #ClimateComic contest.
Like these images? Check out the full comic here → https://t.co/z2bCwobgS4 pic.twitter.com/Cf06olOJV2
— Global Goals (@GlobalGoalsUN) April 22, 2018
The creators of Snoopy shared a cartoon featuring the pooch
Take care of our planet. #EarthDay pic.twitter.com/PYoDVu7cOh
— PEANUTS (@Snoopy) April 22, 2018
Instead of showing Snoopy asleep on his dog house, he’s napping on the earth.
The World Wildlife Fund had advice on how to choose paper products responsibly
Happy #EarthDay! Want to help save forests ?? You can do so while shopping! Look for the FSC label (@FSC_US) when buying paper, wood, or other forest products. Learn more: https://t.co/jsH9vkXc0c pic.twitter.com/rN6dzHkzvp
— World Wildlife Fund (@World_Wildlife) April 22, 2018
The charity also wants people to pledge to make small lifestyle changes to make a bigger difference.
#Plastic waste is a problem for our wildlife, our planet, our home. This #EarthDay help us spread the word that if we all make simple lifestyle changes, together we can make a big difference for our planet. ?#PromiseForThePlanet pic.twitter.com/Dy4HV2HmVW
— WWF UK (@wwf_uk) April 22, 2018
Charity Feeding America focused on preventing food waste for its Earth Day message
$218 billion worth of perfectly good food is thrown away every year. We can rescue it and treat every day like #EarthDay. #foodwaste #foodrescue pic.twitter.com/IKrzPEYskj
— Feeding America (@FeedingAmerica) April 22, 2018
A US TV show used a tongue-in-cheek gif to remind you to save water
Quick #EarthDay reminder to conserve water. ? #ChicagoFire pic.twitter.com/cqMXNhT9gb
— Chicago Fire (@NBCChicagoFire) April 22, 2018
Renowned wildlife photographer Joel Sartore shared some of his stunning snaps
Plastic consumption effects every living organism that depends on the ocean to live, including us. The good news is, each and every one of us has the power to help curb this. Say no to one-use plastic items (bags/straws/etc) & support laws in favor of regulating plastic #EarthDay pic.twitter.com/JsRNeAPXUU
— Joel Sartore (@joelsartore) April 22, 2018
He encouraged his followers to say no to one-use plastic items.
Footballer Pele echoed this sentiment, asking the same of his followers.
25 years ago, I was given an #EarthDay award. Today is Earth Day, so let’s be kind to our planet! Reduce your use of plastic today. // Há 25 anos, eu recebi um prêmio #EarthDay. Hoje é Dia da Terra. Pense em um jeito de reduzir o seu uso de plásticos hoje. pic.twitter.com/sXV2oj7g83
— Pelé (@Pele) April 22, 2018
You can find out more about Earth Day here.
