Originally, Earth Day was celebrated during the vernal equinox,March 21, and celebrated the arrival of spring. Nowadays, Earth Day is seen more as an ecological holiday highlighting the impact of environmental destruction. In the last 50 years, humans have affected the environment more than in the entire evolution of mankind. The increase in our affluence has destroyed more than half of the Earth's ecosystems. Birds, reptiles and mammals have declined by 50% in the last 50 years. 80% of the forests that covered half of the Earth's landmass 8000 years ago are irreparably damaged or completely destroyed. Since the 1950s, we have harvested over 90% of the major fish species, but only a tiny fraction of these reach our tables. We emit millions of tonnes of pollutants into the air and millions of tonnes of waste into the sea.
Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970 in San Francisco thanks to peace and environmental activist John McConnell. "We all need to protect the devastated earth. It's our mother, it deserves its day." Earth Day is commemorated by a billion people on every continent.
On Earth Day 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico, something happened that no one expected on Earth Day. The floating oil rig Deepwater Horizon caught fire and sank after a huge explosion. It killed 11 people. The well, which was 1,650 metres below the surface, could not be closed. Oil immediately began to leak into the sea. It took three months to stop the leak. The damage was incalculable and, above all, irreparable. In the meantime, the oil spill affected the territories of Louisiana, Florida and other states. President Obama has declared that this disaster will have the same impact on the minds of Americans as the terrorist attacks of 11 September.
The only planet on which life is possible so far is our Earth. Therefore, it is the duty of each of us to treat it in such a way that life can be here for many future generations.
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