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Explore Earth Day 2020’s theme—Climate Action—by taking part in Earth Day Live. EarthDay.org is the place to be, not only to read about challenges we face but also to be inspired to make changes large and small to preserve our precious Earth. So what can you do online for Earth Day?

  • Watch Earth Day Live! See live performances, hear live messages and calls to action. The stream starts at 12:01 am ET and runs until 11:59 pm.
  • Take part in the Seawalls Stay-At-Home Mural Festival for our Planet. There are several free events to register for and take part in. If you don’t feel like participating in an event, browse 350 ocean-inspired murals from 15 countries around the Earth.
  • Tap into NASA’s Earth Day 2020: 50th Anniversary Toolkit. Check out the NASA Visualization Explorer.
  • Create some fun Earth Day art of your own with resources from Kathy Barbro’s Art Projects for Kids. You will recognize the featured image for this post if you go to Kathy’s siteit’s the free Earth Day Mini Mural.
  • On the Earth Day news page, read the Q&A Interview with Denis Hayes, coordinator of the first Earth Day. Denis speaks about the past, present, and future of Earth Day. On the same page, explore 11 Actions for the Earth During a Pandemic.
  • Read Roswell High School students’ thoughts and suggestions regarding the environment. Their thoughts are in response to the Roswell Garden Club Environmental Competition Blog prompt:
    • Inspired by 16-year-old Greta Thernberg’s speech to the UN and the National Garden Club, Inc.’s Conservation Pledge – ‘I pledge to protect and conserve the natural resources of the planet earth and promise to promote education so we may become caretakers of our air, water, forest, land, and wildlife.’ Roswell Garden Club invites high school students from public, private, and home schools in Roswell, GA, to write a blog post exploring how we in Roswell can become caretakers of our air, water, forest, land, and wildlife.  The topic for the post, ‘Moving from consumers to caretakers of our air, water, forest, land, and wildlife,’ lends itself to a variety of perspectives. Students are encouraged to blog about ways communities, organizations such as schools, families, and individuals can begin to have a positive impact on our world.”
  • Read our short History of Earth Day:

In the late 1960s, individuals and politicians embraced environmentalism. Graphic proof of the decline of water and air quality presented ominous images of international abuse of the planet. Activists made it clear that in order to secure a decent quality of life and a sustainable future, laws must be enacted and behaviors must be changed.

In 1970 politicians added Earth Day to the calendar to strengthen the message and unite supporters. Cartoonist Walt Kelly’s iconic poster designed to promote the first celebration depicts Pogo the possum surveying the trash-covered Okefenokee Swamp declaring, “We have met the enemy and he is us”. Message received—millions paid tribute to Mother Earth on April 22, 50 years ago.

Grass roots initiatives and meaningful political action produced unprecedented victories for the environment. Congress passed The National Environmental Policy Act in 1970, and two years later the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts followed. President Nixon proposed the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to maintain and enforce environmental laws, work with industry to develop best practices, and co-ordinate educational outreach. While there is still room for improvement, the outlook for the environment is positive.

Through the years the number of government agencies and non-government organizations has burgeoned. The Internet provides links to millions of informative, eco-centered websites dedicated to raising awareness of the green movement. Widgets that calculate every aspect of our carbon footprint are available. Social media allows people from all over the world to comment and contribute. Bloggers raise awareness of issues and share personal views of timely topics. We no longer have to be our own enemy. Individuals can get involved and share responsibility for protecting the planet.

This year, join Roswell Garden Club and celebrate the earth on April 22 and throughout the year. Whether you attend an online community event, plant vegetables or flowers, pick up trash, or enjoy a walk, take time to focus on being a good steward of the environment. As one blogger put it, “To do something nice for the planet ultimately does something nice for you and all those you care about because, for now, we all live here.”

Note: The featured image for this post is Kathy Barbro’s free Earth Day Mini Mural, available at https://artprojectsforkids.org/free-mini-earth-day-mural/