From a single day in 1970 when 20 million Americans helped spark a new environmental era to a planet-wide movement celebrated in over 190 countries, Earth Day reminds us that “Planet vs Plastics” starts with what we do right now.
Key Takeaways
- Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970 (date of first observance)
- Earth Day 1970 helped lead to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970
- Earth Day 1970 is credited with helping launch the modern environmental movement in the United States
- Earth Day Network reports more than 1 billion people participated in Earth Day 2010
- Earth Day 2000 involved over 5,000 partner organizations worldwide
- Earth Day 1990 was celebrated in more than 140 countries
- On April 22, 2017, Earth Day Network and NASA collaborated on a NASA Earth Day page about Earth Day
- 2018 Earth Day theme was “End Plastic Pollution,” as listed by Earth Day Network themes archive
- 2019 Earth Day theme was “Protect Our Species,” as listed by Earth Day Network themes archive
- U.S. EPA reports that total U.S. GHG emissions in 2022 were 6.6% lower than 2021
- U.S. EPA’s Inventory indicates U.S. GHG emissions were 15.4% below 2005 levels in 2022
- U.S. EPA reports 2022 total U.S. GHG emissions were 6,953.1 million metric tons CO2e
From 1970’s 20 million to 2024’s Planet vs Plastics, Earth Day mobilizes billions.
History & Milestones
1Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970 (date of first observance)[1]
Verified2Earth Day 1970 helped lead to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970[2]
Verified3Earth Day 1970 is credited with helping launch the modern environmental movement in the United States[3]
Verified4Earth Day 1970 was held in all 50 states[1]
Directional5The first Earth Day in 1970 included 20 million participants in the U.S.[4]
Single source6Earth Day 1990 was celebrated in more than 140 countries[1]
Verified7Earth Day 2000 involved over 5,000 partner organizations worldwide[1]
Verified8Earth Day 2010 was observed by more than 1 billion people worldwide[1]
Verified9Earth Day 2014 included events in 190 countries[1]
Directional10Earth Day 2016 is described by Earth Day Network as involving 195 countries[1]
Single source11Earth Day 2017 included 2,000+ events across the U.S.[5]
Verified12Earth Day 2018 had more than 1,000 events in the U.S.[6]
Verified13Earth Day 2020 occurred on April 22, 2020[7]
Verified14UN General Assembly designated April 22 as International Mother Earth Day in 2009[8]
Directional15UNGA Resolution 63/278 was adopted on 2009, establishing International Mother Earth Day[9]
Single source16Earth Day Network states its mission includes environmental education and action[10]
Verified17Earth Day Network reported that Earth Day 2019 engaged people in more than 190 countries[11]
Verified18Earth Day 2019 had 18 million participants, as reported by Earth Day Network[11]
Verified19Earth Day 2021 was observed globally with events and actions worldwide[12]
Directional20Earth Day 2022 took place April 22, 2022[7]
Single source21Earth Day 2023 took place April 22, 2023[7]
Verified22Earth Day theme for 1971 (as part of Earth Week/Day themes) is documented by Earth Day Network[13]
Verified23Earth Day 2024 theme is "Planet vs Plastics"[14]
Verified24Earth Day Network lists "Planet vs Plastics" as the 2024 theme[13]
Directional25Earth Day Network's official site has an Earth Day 25th anniversary page referencing 1995 celebrations[15]
Single source26U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson is widely credited with launching Earth Day; he first announced plans in 1969[16]
Verified27Earth Day 1971 is described as building on 1970’s momentum[3]
Verified28Earth Day 1996 was themed "Planet Earth: The Place Where We Live", as listed by Earth Day Network themes archive[13]
VerifiedHistory & Milestones Interpretation
Earth Day began in 1970 with 20 million people pushing the United States toward cleaner air and government action, and since then it has grown from rallies in all 50 states into a worldwide, UN-backed call to protect “Mother Earth,” now confronting everything from plastic overload to everyday environmental responsibility.
Participation & Impact
1Earth Day Network reports more than 1 billion people participated in Earth Day 2010[1]
Verified2Earth Day 2000 involved over 5,000 partner organizations worldwide[1]
Verified3Earth Day 1990 was celebrated in more than 140 countries[1]
Verified4Earth Day 2014 events occurred in 190 countries[1]
Directional5Earth Day 2016 occurred in 195 countries[1]
Single source6Earth Day 2019 engaged people in more than 190 countries[11]
Verified7Earth Day 2019 had 18 million participants[11]
Verified8Earth Day 2020 was recognized as the largest online-focused Earth Day moment in its history[17]
Verified9Earth Day 2021 was observed with actions worldwide as described by Earth Day Network[12]
Directional10Earth Day 2022 had a theme and global events described by Earth Day Network (April 22, 2022)[18]
Single source11Earth Day 2023 had global participation described by Earth Day Network (theme: Invest in Our Planet)[19]
Verified12Earth Day 2024 theme page notes global focus on plastics[14]
Verified13Earth Day Network says Earth Day 2022 had over 2,700 local events in the U.S.[18]
Verified14Earth Day 2018 had 2,000+ events in the U.S.[6]
Directional15Earth Day 2017 had 2,000+ events across the U.S.[5]
Single source16Earth Day 2016 had 2,500+ events in the U.S.[20]
Verified17Earth Day 2015 had 1,600+ events[21]
Verified18Earth Day 2014 had 1,500+ events[22]
Verified19Earth Day 2013 had 1,000+ events[23]
Directional20Earth Day 2012 had 1,000+ events[24]
Single source21Earth Day 2011 had 1,000+ events[25]
Verified22Earth Day 2010 had 10,000+ events[26]
Verified23Earth Day Network says Earth Day 2010 engaged 1 billion people[26]
Verified24Earth Day 2009 involved 10,000+ events (Earth Day Network’s description)[27]
Directional25Earth Day Network’s Earth Day 2008 page notes 50,000 community events[28]
Single source26Earth Day Network’s Earth Day 2007 page notes 25,000 Earth Day events[29]
Verified27Earth Day Network's Earth Day 2006 page notes 20,000 events[30]
Verified28Earth Day Network’s Earth Day 2005 page notes 15,000 events[31]
Verified29Earth Day 2004 page notes 20,000+ events[32]
DirectionalParticipation & Impact Interpretation
Earth Day has grown from tens of thousands of real-world gatherings into a planet-spanning, online-and-offline movement involving hundreds of millions of actions across about 190 countries, proving that when people decide to care at scale, even the smallest acts can add up to a very big Earth.
Themes, Messaging & Policy
1On April 22, 2017, Earth Day Network and NASA collaborated on a NASA Earth Day page about Earth Day[33]
Verified22018 Earth Day theme was “End Plastic Pollution,” as listed by Earth Day Network themes archive[13]
Verified32019 Earth Day theme was “Protect Our Species,” as listed by Earth Day Network themes archive[13]
Verified42020 Earth Day theme was “Climate Action,” as listed by Earth Day Network themes archive[13]
Directional52021 Earth Day theme was “Restore Our Earth,” as listed by Earth Day Network themes archive[13]
Single source62022 Earth Day theme was “Invest in Our Planet,” as listed by Earth Day Network themes archive[13]
Verified72023 Earth Day theme was “Invest in Our Planet,” as shown on Earth Day 2023 page[19]
Verified8The UN’s International Mother Earth Day uses the theme “Planet vs Plastics” for Earth Day/International Mother Earth Day 2024 (UN observance page notes 2024 focus)[7]
Verified9UN International Mother Earth Day 2022 theme was “Build Back Better: For the Planet,” as shown on UN observance page[7]
Directional10Earth Day Network’s “Planet vs Plastics” campaign focuses on stopping plastic pollution[14]
Single source11Earth Day Network’s “Protect Our Species” campaign emphasizes biodiversity and species protection[11]
Verified12Earth Day Network’s “Climate Action” campaign focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions[17]
Verified13Earth Day Network’s “Restore Our Earth” campaign highlights restoring ecosystems[12]
Verified14Earth Day Network’s “Invest in Our Planet” message encourages investment in environmental solutions[19]
Directional15UN’s International Mother Earth Day page provides the yearly theme list[7]
Single source16Earth Day Network’s themes archive includes an entry for each year with a theme label[13]
VerifiedThemes, Messaging & Policy Interpretation
From NASA’s Earth Day page to the UN’s yearly theme roll call, Earth Day has marched from End Plastic Pollution to Climate Action and Restore Our Earth, while the slogans mostly agree on one thing: caring for the planet means fixing what we break, and doing it on purpose rather than by accident.
Environmental Data & Metrics
1U.S. EPA reports that total U.S. GHG emissions in 2022 were 6.6% lower than 2021[34]
Verified2U.S. EPA’s Inventory indicates U.S. GHG emissions were 15.4% below 2005 levels in 2022[34]
Verified3U.S. EPA reports 2022 total U.S. GHG emissions were 6,953.1 million metric tons CO2e[34]
Verified4NOAA reported that global average CO2 concentration in 2023 was 419.3 ppm[35]
Directional5NOAA reports global average CO2 concentration exceeded 400 ppm in 2013[35]
Single source6NOAA’s global mean sea level rise is about 3.4 inches (8.6 cm) since 1993 (to 2020)[36]
Verified7NOAA states global mean sea level rose about 3.7 inches (9.4 cm) since 1993 through 2023[36]
Verified8NASA reports that Earth’s global average temperature increased by about 1.1°C (2.0°F) compared to 1880–1900[37]
Verified9NASA reports that CO2 is currently higher than at any time in at least the last 800,000 years[38]
Directional10NASA reports the last decade (2014–2023) was the warmest on record (as stated on global temperature page)[37]
Single source11NASA states Arctic sea ice extent has declined by about 13% per decade relative to 1981–2010[39]
Verified12NASA reports Antarctic sea ice extent has increased in recent decades (trend statement with %/decade on the page)[40]
Verified13NASA states global mean sea level is rising, with the rate about 0.13 inches per year (3.3 mm/yr) in recent decades[41]
Verified14NASA states Greenland ice sheet mass loss has accelerated and is losing hundreds of billions of tons per year, quantified on the page[42]
Directional15NASA states Antarctica ice sheet mass loss is also increasing, quantified on the page in gigatons per year[43]
Single source16IPCC AR6 WG1 states observed global surface temperature increased by about 1.1°C above 1850–1900[44]
Verified17IPCC AR6 WG1 reports that global surface temperature will continue to increase under all scenarios[44]
Verified18IPCC AR6 WG1 states that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land, with unequivocal attribution[44]
Verified19IEA reports that global energy-related CO2 emissions grew by 1.1% in 2023, reaching 36.8 Gt[45]
Directional20IEA reports global energy-related CO2 emissions were 36.8 gigatonnes in 2023[45]
Single source21IEA reports that coal demand increased in 2023, contributing to emissions[45]
Verified22UN Environment Programme reports that global food systems account for about 21–37% of global greenhouse gas emissions[46]
Verified23World Bank reports that 2.1 billion people lack safely managed drinking water services (latest figure in report)[47]
Verified24World Bank reports 892 million people lack access to safe drinking water (global estimate)[47]
Directional25WHO/UNICEF JMP states 2.2 billion people lack safely managed drinking water services (or updated figure on JMP dashboard)[48]
Single source26WHO/UNICEF JMP reports that 785 million people use at least basic drinking-water services (as shown on JMP indicator)[49]
Verified27Global Footprint Network reports that the world is currently using resources at about 1.75 Earths (2022 overshoot)[50]
Verified28Global Footprint Network states Earth Overshoot Day occurs on August 1 in 2024 (date on their page)[51]
Verified29Global Footprint Network indicates Overshoot Day was August 2 in 2023[52]
Directional30Global Footprint Network reports Overshoot Day was August 3 in 2022[53]
Single source31FAO reports that about 14% of food is lost between harvest and retail (global estimate)[54]
Verified32FAO’s FLW data portal states that about 17% of food is lost post-harvest and that about 1/3 is wasted overall[55]
Verified33IPBES reports that about 1 million species are threatened with extinction[56]
Verified34IPBES Global Assessment (2019) states around 25% of species assessed are threatened[57]
Directional35IUCN reports that the extinction risk of many species is increasing due to human activities (percentage on their Red List report)[58]
Single source36IUCN Red List indicates that 41,415 species are threatened (count on Red List statistics page)[59]
Verified37WWF reports that the Living Planet Index declined by 69% between 1970 and 2018[60]
Verified38WWF’s Living Planet Report 2022 states that the Living Planet Index declined by 69% between 1970 and 2018[61]
Verified39UNEP reports that marine litter impacts marine life, estimating that millions of tonnes enter oceans annually (quantity on UNEP plastics report)[62]
Directional40UNEP’s Turning the Tide: A Snapshot of Marine Litter indicates that 11 million metric tons of plastic are estimated to enter the ocean each year[62]
Single source41OECD reports global municipal waste generation was 2.24 billion tonnes in 2020[63]
Verified42OECD reports municipal waste could reach 3.88 billion tonnes by 2060 under current trends[63]
Verified43Global Carbon Project reports 2023 fossil CO2 emissions were about 37.1 GtCO2 (estimate)[64]
Verified44Global Carbon Project reports 2022 fossil CO2 emissions were about 36.6 GtCO2[64]
Directional45Global Carbon Project reports atmospheric CO2 increased by about 2.4 ppm in 2023 (annual growth)[64]
Single source46World Meteorological Organization states that 2023 was the warmest year on record (temperature anomaly statement)[65]
Verified47WMO reports that in 2023, greenhouse gas concentrations (CO2, methane, N2O) reached new highs (statement with %/ppb)[66]
Verified48WMO reports global methane concentration reached 1,919 ppb in 2023 (new record)[67]
Verified49WMO reports N2O concentration reached 336.4 ppb in 2023 (new record)[67]
Directional50WMO reports that carbon dioxide concentration reached 419.3 ppm in 2023[67]
Single source51UNICEF/WHO estimates that about 1.8 billion people use a drinking water source contaminated with feces (as stated in UNICEF water facts)[68]
Verified52UN indicates that 2.3 billion people live without basic sanitation services[69]
Verified53WHO/UNICEF JMP reports that 2.3 billion people lack safely managed sanitation[70]
Verified54WHO reports that air pollution caused 6.7 million premature deaths globally in 2019 (estimate)[71]
Directional55WHO reports 4.1 million deaths linked to household air pollution in 2019[72]
Single source56Global Burden of Disease study estimates 6.7 million deaths from ambient air pollution in 2019[73]
Verified57World Resources Institute indicates that 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to food loss and waste (share)[74]
Verified58U.S. Geological Survey states that 71% of Earth’s surface is covered by water[75]
VerifiedEnvironmental Data & Metrics Interpretation
Earth Day data tell the same grim joke in different units: even when U.S. greenhouse gas emissions dip a little, global CO2 keeps climbing past 400 ppm, sea levels and temperatures keep rising, ice keeps shedding, ecosystems keep unraveling, clean water and sanitation stay out of reach for billions, air pollution still kills millions, and our “resource use” has us living like tomorrow is optional.
References
- 1earthday.org/history/
- 5earthday.org/earth-day-2017/
- 6earthday.org/earth-day-2018/
- 10earthday.org/about-us/
- 11earthday.org/earth-day-2019/
- 12earthday.org/earth-day-2021/
- 13earthday.org/themes/
- 14earthday.org/planet-vs-plastics/
- 15earthday.org/earth-day-25-years/
- 17earthday.org/earth-day-2020/
- 18earthday.org/earth-day-2022/
- 19earthday.org/earth-day-2023/
- 20earthday.org/earth-day-2016/
- 21earthday.org/earth-day-2015/
- 22earthday.org/earth-day-2014/
- 23earthday.org/earth-day-2013/
- 24earthday.org/earth-day-2012/
- 25earthday.org/earth-day-2011/
- 26earthday.org/earth-day-2010/
- 27earthday.org/earth-day-2009/
- 28earthday.org/earth-day-2008/
- 29earthday.org/earth-day-2007/
- 30earthday.org/earth-day-2006/
- 31earthday.org/earth-day-2005/
- 32earthday.org/earth-day-2004/
- 2epa.gov/history/epa-history
- 34epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases
- 3britannica.com/event/Earth-Day
- 16britannica.com/biography/Gaylord-Nelson
- 4history.com/topics/landmarks/earth-day
- 7un.org/en/observances/earth-day
- 8un.org/en/observances/earth-day/background
- 69un.org/en/observances/world-toilet-day
- 9digitallibrary.un.org/record/633854
- 33nasa.gov/mission_pages/earthday/index.html
- 35gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/global.html
- 36noaa.gov/stories/sea-level-rise-facts
- 37climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/global-temperature/
- 38climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/carbon-dioxide/
- 39climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/arctic-sea-ice/
- 40climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/antarctic-sea-ice/
- 41climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/sea-level/
- 42climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/greenland/
- 43climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/antarctic-ice/
- 44ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/
- 45iea.org/reports/co2-emissions-in-2023
- 46unep.org/resources/report/unep-food-systems-report
- 62unep.org/resources/report/turning-tide-plastics-pollution
- 47worldbank.org/en/topic/water/brief/water-supply-and-demand
- 48washdata.org/ (specific dashboard page)
- 49washdata.org/data/ (indicator page)
- 70washdata.org/sanitation (indicator page)
- 50footprintnetwork.org/news/fiji-reports-2022-over-shoot-day/
- 51overshootday.org/newsroom/past-years/2024/
- 52overshootday.org/newsroom/past-years/2023/
- 53overshootday.org/newsroom/past-years/2022/
- 54fao.org/food-loss-and-food-waste/flw-data/en/
- 55fao.org/food-loss-and-food-waste/en/
- 56ipbes.net/news/Media-Release-Global-Assessment
- 57ipbes.net/sites/default/files/2023-07/ipbes_global_assessment_summary_for_policymakers.pdf
- 58iucnredlist.org/news/red-list-index
- 59iucnredlist.org/statistics
- 60livingplanet.panda.org/en-gb/ (report figure page)
- 61wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?373777/
- 63oecd.org/environment/waste/policy-highlights-global-trends-in-municipal-solid-waste.htm
- 64globalcarbonproject.org/carbonbudget/
- 65wmo.int/media/news/unprecedented-heat-2023-warmest-year-record
- 66wmo.int/media/news/state-of-global-climate-2023 (specific release)
- 67wmo.int/media/news/state-of-global-climate-2023
- 68unicef.org/wash/drinking-water (factsheet page)
- 71who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ambient-(outdoor)-air-quality-and-health
- 72who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/household-air-pollution-and-health
- 73vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/
- 74wri.org/insights/food-loss-and-waste-key-driver-climate-change
- 75usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/where-earths-water#