According to the New York Times, nearly 20 million Americans participated in the first Earth Day celebration on April 22, 1970. In the decades since, Earth Day has spread across the globe with thousands of events in more than 180 countries.
From its beginning, the event influenced environmental politics, triggering such national legislation as the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act.
Organizers of the first celebration wrote in their manifesto:
"Earth Day is a commitment to make life better, not just bigger and faster.
It is a day to re-examine the ethic of individual progress at mankind's
expense."
Here, some agency pictures from today's Earth Day celebrations around the world:
Above, environmental activists perform on the eve of Earth Day in Makassar, Indonesia's South Sulawesi province, April 21, 2008. The performance is a call to protect trees on Earth. REUTERS/Yusuf Ahmad (INDONESIA)
Above, on the eve of the internationally recognized 'Earth Day,' Taipei's city government writes 'Cool Below 2 Degrees' on the side of the Taipei 101 building to address global warming in Taipei, Taiwan, Monday, April 21, 2008.(AP Photo/Wally Santana)
Above, President George W. Bush, Mexico's President Felipe Calderon, (R), and Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper (L), shovel dirt before planting a tree in honor of Earth Day while in New Orleans, Louisiana, April 22, 2008.(Larry Downing/Reuters) The most important thing to remember, though, is that Earth Day is not just today, it's everyday!
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