On April 22, close to 48 years ago, millions of people took to the streets to protest the negative impacts of  industrial development. Around the world and in the US, smog was becoming deadly and evidence presented delays in children. The US Congress and President Nixon responded immediately, and in July of the same year they created the Environmental Protection Agency. Earth Day is a global event of great importance as it not only cheers Earth itself but creates new initiatives to save ecosystems and organisms.

This day is of political action and civic participation. People demonstrate their appreciation for the Earth by organizing clean-ups, planting trees, singing petitions, and meeting with their selected officials.

Earth Day Network, the organization that leads Earth Day worldwide, has chosen to focus on ending plastic pollution as it is becoming more threatening each passing day. The main idea is to find support for a global effort to eliminate primarily single-use plastic. Thanks to all the hard work made by the organization, a ban was proposed in New York City to get rid of disposable plastic bottles.