This year, we’re celebrating World Earth Day (22 April 2025) by teaming up with our Youth Board to explore the history behind this important occasion. World Earth Day is held annually to show support for environmental protection – and this year the theme is ‘Our Power, Our Planet’. Start by watching this short, quiz-style video created by our Youth Board, then join us as we delve into the answers!
The very first Earth Day
The first Earth Day took place in 1970, initiated by Senator Gaylord Nelson and activist Denis Hayes, in an effort to raise awareness of environmental issues. Both were increasingly concerned about the environmental damage occurring in the United States at the time – and particularly a major oil spill in Santa Barbara, California, in 1969. As a result, 20 million people across the country took to the streets in protest.1 Earth Day 1970 became, and remains, the largest secular day of protest in the world.2 You can even watch the original CBS News Special Report, with Walter Cronkite covering the events of that day.
Originally, Earth Day focused on the pollution of air, water and land in the US, but it has since sparked global action on a wide range of environmental issues.3 Over the course of the last 50 years, Earth Day has helped to shape the modern environmental movement – raising awareness, driving action, and influencing change through global agreements,4 including the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Climate Agreement.
Why we’re ProEnvironment
ProEnvironment is one of our five big reasons to choose plant-based. Ready to see the rest? Tap to explore!
Why do we need Earth day?
Despite decades of progress, our planet still faces serious environmental challenges – from plastic pollution to water overuse and the impacts of industrial animal agriculture. Take plastic, for instance. It’s estimated that only 9% of all the plastic waste ever produced has been recycled, with the rest either incinerated or ending up in landfills and the natural environment.5 Single-use plastics remain a major threat to wildlife and marine ecosystems, and reducing their use is more important than ever.
Animal agriculture is another major environmental concern. Globally, 70% of the earth’s water is used for agriculture and 20% for growing feed crops.6 The sector is responsible for significant deforestation, biodiversity loss, and greenhouse gas emissions.
What you can do to help
One simple action that everyone can take to protect the planet is to eat more plant-based food. Choosing plant-based meals helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, land use, water consumption and biodiversity loss, all key drivers of the climate and ecological crises. It’s a small shift with a big impact.
If you’re curious to give plant-based eating a go, take the Veggie Challenge. It’s a free 30-day program that includes recipes, tips and customized support to help you eat more sustainably.
You can also learn more about the benefits of plant-based eating in some of our recent blog posts:
- Why eating plant-based is good for the environment
- How to be plant-based on a budget
- Explore cooking with tofu, lentils, chickpeas, and jackfruit.
Whether it’s going fully plant-based, committing to one meat-free day a week, or simply becoming more conscious of what’s on your plate, every action counts.
Emily Styrka
Content Creator and Writer
References
- BBC, “Earth Day: What is it and why is it important?” Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68610073
- EarthDay.org, “The History of Earth Day.” Available at: https://www.earthday.org/history/
- Blueland, “Earth Day Through the Decades.” Available at: https://www.blueland.com/en-gb/articles/earth-day-through-the-decades
- Blueland, “Earth Day Through the Decades.” Available at: https://www.blueland.com/en-gb/articles/earth-day-through-the-decades
- National Geographic, “Plastic has a big carbon footprint—but that isn’t the worst part.” Available at: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/plastic-produced-recycling-waste-ocean-trash-debris-environment
- ProVeg International, “Water use: animal vs plant-based products.” Available at: https://proveg.org/fsd-article/water-use/
