What is Earth Day, and why is it important?
Earth Day takes place worldwide every year on 22 April to mark the importance of environmental protection. The first Earth Day took place in 1970, led by Gaylord Nelson, a US senator and environmentalist, and Denis Hayes, a graduate student at Harvard University. The pair were motivated by their growing environmental concerns and started the event as a way of spreading awareness among their local community.
Since then, Earth Day has gathered 1 billion supporters of all nationalities and ages with one main goal: to protect the future of the planet. Now, there are many global organisations in over 192 countries who have teamed up to support this aim.
This year’s theme is ‘Our Power, Our Planet’, which focuses on the need for clean and renewable energy. Renewable energy is on the rise, with almost 50 nations across the globe generating more than half of their electricity from renewable energy sources. Earth Day 2025 is the perfect opportunity to reflect on ways we can be more sustainable in our energy production and use.
What are some ways to celebrate Earth Day?
There are plenty of ways you can support the planet this Earth Day, right from the comfort of your home to the great outdoors. You could make small changes in the kitchen, such as being energy efficient in cooking and swapping to reusable cling films to cut down on single-use plastic waste. For those with green fingers, you could volunteer in your local community garden and plant flowers or trees.
Here are a few more ideas to get involved and grow your support for Earth Day:
- Gather your family and friends and take a visit to your local park. Simply admiring and appreciating the natural environment is a great way to feel connected this Earth Day.
- You could also participate in local events taking place all over on the day. Or, you could even host your own.
- Take action and sign a petition with an organisation. There are many online petitions committed to renewable energy and sustainability.
- Get involved in the digital space. You could update social media with your Earth Day activities and post about what you’ve been up to.
How can you support the planet beyond Earth Day?
Although Earth Day is one day a year, every day is an opportunity to give back to the planet. Consider pledging to make small changes in your daily life. Small actions add up over time to create a bigger picture of sustainability. There are plenty of ways to reduce your carbon footprint, such as choosing to walk more wherever you can and taking public transport instead of the car. Don’t forget about the 3 R’s – reduce, reuse and recycle and finally, consider introducing more plant-based foods into your diet.
In the spirit of community and celebrating the planet, why not visit our interactive exhibition, YOU:MATTER? The exhibition explores our relationship with the natural world through immersive visual and sound technologies, revealing how we’re all connected with the universe.
However you choose to mark Earth Day, remember: no action is too small when it comes to protecting our planet.