Earth Day
The Billion Acts of Green campaign sends a powerful message about the global commitment to protect the earth.
The Billion Acts of Green campaign is a chance to make a difference and be part of history in the making.
On 22nd April people all over the world will celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day – which is the most widely observed secular holiday in the world, featuring the participation of more than a billion people of all ages in 190 countries.
The first Earth Day in 1970 was part teach-in, part call to action and part celebration, with co-ordinated events taking place all across the USA, and it is generally credited with launching the modern environmental movement.
For its 40th anniversary celebrations, the Earth Day Network will be organising a series of events with the Billion Acts of Green campaign at its heart. It is hoped that the pledges of action, focused on the facilitation and cultivation of “service on behalf of the planet”, will send out a powerful message that, despite the intransigence of global leaders, people from all over the world are still committed to protecting the Earth.
From tree-planting to mass lights-out campaigns, from water-saving initiatives to home energy-efficiency retrofits, in conjunction with communities, organisations, university campuses and businesses, the Billion Acts of Green campaign will demonstrate that actions speak louder than words.
The campaign is already well under way, and here are some of the pledges: I will stop eating meat; I will take the metro every day; I will insulate my attic; I will conserve water and electricity.
President Obama has pledged to “implement a green jobs programme that will reduce America’s energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions”, and Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City, has pledged to plant a million trees. Of course, the pledge is just the start – we then have to carry out the actions.
Anyone can join the campaign and any act of ‘green service’ can be registered towards the billion goal. If becoming an environmental activist simply means acting on your beliefs then here is your chance to make a difference and become part of history in the making.