With so much focus on social distancing, homeschooling, (and, you know, surviving this stressful time), you might have thought that Passover and Easter were the only two major holidays in April. But when is Earth Day 2020? Although it’s easy for the eco-conscious holiday to get lost in the shuffle, be prepared — it's coming up soon.
Unlike other holidays that sometimes swap numerical dates (such as Mother’s Day or Father’s Day), Earth Day falls on April 22 of every year, Earthday.org reported. This means that for 2020, it will fall smack dab in the middle of the week on a Wednesday. And this year’s Earth Day is something special, since it marks the 50th anniversary of its inception in 1970 by Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator and environmentalist.
No doubt about it, though, Earth Day is definitely looking (and feeling) a lot different than previous ones. While in years past you might have focused on rallies and in-person events, this year is all about social distancing and safety. That’s why you’ll find that most — if not all — of the scheduled Earth Day events are going to be held online. This year’s theme is climate action, with a focus on what people can do to prompt their lawmakers to adopt policies that help tackle issues like global warming.
Although it’s hard to imagine there being a positive aspect to this pandemic, some ecological silver linings have been observed. In India, for example, the Himalayan mountain range can now be seen up to 100 miles away, thanks to a reduction in air pollution, CNN reported. And if it seems like the birds are chirping more loudly lately, you’re not wrong. With noise pollution reduced, it’s easier to hear the birds singing, The Atlantic found. It seems, in the middle of so much sadness, the Earth is healing itself.
But all of these benefits might be short-lived if we suddenly race back to our former lives once social distancing is but a distant memory. So maybe, for this Earth Day, we should make our strongest effort yet to think of how we can do our part to help the planet beyond continued conservation and recycling efforts. Can we find ways to incorporate a portion of our pandemic lifestyle into a permanent part of our future? It will not only help reduce our carbon footprint, but it can be our ode to the earth.
