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Earth Day is a name used for two different observances, both held annually during Spring in the Northern Hemisphere . These are intended to inspire awareness of and appreciation for the Earth 's environment. The United Nations celebrates Earth Day each year on the Vernal (March) Equinox ; while a global observance in many countries is held each year on April 22 . THE EQUINOCTIAL EARTH DAY The equinoctial Earth Day is celebrated on the vernal equinox (around 21 March ) to mark the precise moment of the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere , and of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere . On the equinox, night and day are of equal length anywhere on Earth. Therefore, a perfectly vertical pole standing on the equator at noon during equinox will not cast a shadow. At the South Pole the sun sets and ends a six-month-long day; while at the North Pole the sun rises, ending six months of continuous darkness. John McConnell first introduced the idea of a global holiday called "Earth Day" at a UNESCO Conference on the Environment in 1969 , the same year that he designed the Earth Flag . The first Earth Day Proclamation was issued by San Francisco Mayor Joseph Alioto on March 21 , 1970 . UN Secretary-General U Thant supported McConnell's global initiative to celebrate this annual event, and on February 26 , 1971 , he signed a proclamation to that effect, saying:
Secretary General 2006 . The United Nations also works with organizers of the April 22nd global event. THE APRIL 22 EARTH DAY Growing Eco-activism before Earth Day 1970 The 1960s had been a very dynamic period for ecology in the US, in both theory and practice. It was in the mid-1960s that Congress passed the sweeping Wilderness Act , and Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas asked, "Who speaks for the trees?" Pre-1960 grassroots activism against DDT in Nassau County, NY, had inspired Rachel Carson to write her shocking bestseller Silent Spring (1962). Earth Day 1970 ]] > Responding to widespread environmental degradation, . Accessed April 25 2006 . The concept of Earth Day was first proposed in a memo to JFK written by Fred Dutton . According to Santa Barbara, California Community Environmental Council:
Senator Nelson selected 2006 . The Aftermath of Earth Day 1970 in San Diego, California .]] Earth Day proved popular in the United States and around the world. The first Earth Day had participants and celebrants in two thousand colleges and universities, roughly ten thousand primary and secondary schools, and hundreds of communities across the United States. More importantly, it "brought 20 million Americans out into the spring sunshine for peaceful demonstrations in favor of environmental reform."Lewis, Jack (November 1985). "The Birth of EPA" . United States Environmental Protection Agency .'' Accessed April 25 2006 . Senator Nelson stated that Earth Day "worked" because of the spontaneous response at the 2007 He directly credited the first Earth Day with persuading U.S. politicians that environmental Legislation had a substantial, lasting constituency. Many important laws were passed by the Congress in the wake of the 1970 Earth Day, including the Clean Air Act , laws to protect Drinking Water , wild Land s and the Ocean , and the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency . Now observed in 175 countries, and coordinated by the nonprofit 2006 . The significance of the date
Earth Week Many cities extend the Earth Day celebration to be an entire week, usually starting on April 16 th, and ending on Earth Day, April 22nd. SEE ALSO World Environment Day REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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