Earth Day is an annual event that takes place on April 22nd each year, to demonstrate support for environmental protection and activism. Started in 1970, it now includes many events that take place around the world, coordinated by Earthday.org.
As shown in this video produced by the American Museum of Natural History, a lot has changed since the inaugural Earth Day took place in 1970. Global emissions, surface temperatures, and sea levels have been rising at an increasingly accelerating rate, almost 900 species of animals have recently been declared extinct.
Federal policies such as the Clean Air Act of 1970, Endangered Species act 1973 and international treaties like the Paris Agreement have helped to foster cultures of climate accountability, leading to reduction in key emissions and air pollutants, even given the overall increase in the global population and energy use over the last several decades.