Multiple Earth Day events to be held across the Bay Area
On Monday, the international community will celebrate the 54th anniversary of Earth Day with events across the globe.
The first Earth Day took place April 22, 1970. A U.S. Senator from Wisconsin named Gaylord Nelson prompted a massive demonstration.. when he called for students to and communities to fight for the environment and oppose environmental degradation using the same energy and fervor that was shown during the Vietnam War demonstrations.
An estimated 30 million people showed up and demonstrated to celebrate and raise concerns over clean air, land, and water. In December 1970, Congress authorized the creation of the U.S. EPA. Senator Nelson is often credited with creating Earth Day to bring environmental issues onto the national agenda.
Earth Day celebrations usually have a theme. For 2024, the theme is "Planet v. Plastic." Many events will go on around the world in more than 193 counties, and in of course in the Bay Area.
EARTH DAY EVENTS IN THE BAY AREA
San Francisco: Earth Day San Francisco (Sun. Apr. 21)
Santa Clara County: Santa Clara County Parks (Apr. 19 - 27)
East Bay Parks: Earth Day with the Park District (Sat. Apr. 20)
Marin County: Earth Day Marin (Sun. Apr. 21)
Napa: Earth Day Napa 2024 (Sat. Apr. 20)
Contra Costa County: Multiple Earth Day events
Belmont: City of Belmont Earth Day celebration (Sat. Apr. 20)
More information on Earth Day and its history can be found at EarthDay.org. The site includes an interactive map where users can find Earth Day events in their area. The EPA website also has a section on Earth Day.