Happy Earth Day everyone! It’s been nearly 40 years since the first Earth Day occurred in 1970, helping spark an international environmental movement. In those days, the young organizers who helped coordinate Earth Day were busy sending out letters, packages, and making phone calls on landlines (shocking!) to recruit activities across the United States.
Since then, we’ve come a long way. While our environmental challenges are even more threatening than those faced in the early ’70s, we are better equipped to take on these challenges than ever before. For the first time, we think we have the ability to build a truly global movement. That’s the bet we’re taking with 350.org. We’re gambling that there are people all over the world who are eager to work together to take on the ultimate challenge of our time: solving the climate crisis.
It looks like our bet is starting to pay off! As of the time I’m writing this blog, over 500 actions for October 24 are already registered on our website. Yesterday, I fielded a phone call from a man in Kentucky who’s planning a 350,000 ft bike ride (about 66 miles) and a student in Brunei who is getting hundreds of his friends to gather on the beach to raise awareness about sea level rise.
And just a few moments ago, I got a photo (the one in this blog post) of Chinese students holding a big 350 sign at a tree planting event organized by our friends at the Green Long March! We’ll be telling you more about the Green Long March as it continues to build environmental awareness across China this Spring and Summer.
In the meantime, enjoy your Earth Day and try and get outside to do something for your community and planet. And while you’re online right now, how about registering a 350 action right here on this website? We may not be able to send you a letter like the organizers of the first Earth Day, but we promise to email, Facebook poke, tweet, SMS and blog about this growing movement in the months to come.