Earth Day is on Monday, April 22, 2024. It is a day to honor and celebrate our remarkable planet and to remind us of the importance of environmental conservation and sustainability.
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Earth Day is celebrated every year on April 22. It marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. It was founded as a day of education about environmental issues. The holiday is now a global celebration that’s sometimes extended into Earth Week, a full seven days of events focused on green living and confronting the climate crisis.
Earth Day 2024 theme
The theme for Earth Day 2024 is 'Planet vs. Plastics.' The goal is to end plastics for the sake of human and planetary health and demand a 60% reduction in the production of all plastics by 2040. The goal, furthermore, is to rapidly phase out all single-use plastics, and urgently push for a strong UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution. Around 1 billion people participate in Earth Day activities worldwide every year.
Join the MSJC Earth Day Program: Planet or Plastic! on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, between 8:00 pm to 9:15 pm EST.
Click here to register.
Earth Hour, March 23, 2024
In the lead-up to Earth Day in 2024, millions of people worldwide participated in Earth Hour on March 23, 2024. Supporters from over 180 countries and territories collectively contributed over 1.4 million hours, making Earth Hour 2024 the biggest hour for Earth yet. Out of the 1.4 million hours, people around the world gave more than 208,000 hours to reconnect with nature through their love of fitness, outdoors, and arts; over 248,000 hours to restoring our environment with their love for food and sustainability; over 703,000 hours to learning more about our planet through edutainment, and more than 261,000 hours to inspiring others.
Many global landmarks participated during Earth Hour's iconic switch-off moment. These landmarks included the Sydney Opera House, Tokyo Tower, China's Ordos City, Beijing National Stadium, Taipei 101, the skyline of Hong Kong Victoria Harbour, Namsan Seoul Tower, Shah Faisal Mosque, India Gate, the London Eye, the Colosseum, Vatican Basilica, the Brandenburg Gate, the Eiffel Tower, the Middle of the World Monument, Empire State Building, Niagara Falls, the UN Headquarters, and many more.
Some ideas to celebrate Earth Day at home:
Plant a Tree or Start a Garden: This is a great way to give back to the Earth and create a sustainable food source or a habitat for local wildlife.
DIY Crafts: Use recycled materials to create art or useful items. For example, you could make a bird feeder from a plastic bottle.
Educational Activities: Watch documentaries or read books about the environment. This can be a fun and informative way to spend the day.
Energy Audit: Check your home for ways to conserve energy. One simple solution is to replace old light bulbs with energy-efficient ones.
Clean-up: Spend some time picking up litter around your neighborhood or local park.
Cook a Plant-Based Meal: Try cooking a good meal for you and the planet. There are plenty of delicious plant-based recipes online.
Digital Cleanup: Delete old emails and unnecessary files on your computer to reduce your digital carbon footprint.
Nature Walk: If you have a backyard or nearby park, take a walk and appreciate the beauty of nature.
Earth Day aims to raise awareness about the importance of protecting our planet and inspire action towards environmental preservation.
Earth Day events
You can find an Earth Day event near you by navigating this link from the Earthday.org global events map.
A Prayer for Our Earth
All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe
and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of your love,
that we may protect life and beauty.
Fill us with peace, that we may live
as brothers and sisters, harming no one.
O God of the poor,
help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth,
so precious in your eyes.
Bring healing to our lives,
that we may protect the world and not prey on it,
that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.
Touch the hearts
of those who look only for gain
at the expense of the poor and the earth.
Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,
to be filled with awe and contemplation,
to recognize that we are profoundly united
with every creature
as we journey towards your infinite light.
We thank you for being with us each day.
Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle
for justice, love and peace.
Laudato Si', 246
Remembering our Marianist Encounters slogans,
"None of us have to do everything, but all of us are invited to do something."
"Let us nurture Marianist Encounters at the intersection of the cry of the poor, the cry of the earth, and the gift of our Marianist charism."
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