A DEPARTMENT OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA

LAND

Earth Day

History
 
The idea of former Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970, and as part of the modern environmental movement. The movement is the product of public concern and a grassroots movement to raise awareness of the environment. Nelson proposed a "National teach-in" on the environment; public interest and support have sustained the idea. Next year, 2020, Earth Day will celebrate the anniversary of its 50th year.
 
On Earth Day, we are reminded of our individual responsibility to be good stewards of the environment and to make our planet a cleaner place. Earth Day will be April 22, 2019, this year.


Earth Day Tips

How to make every day Earth Day

  1. Carpool with friends to work, or take advantage of Commuter Krewe of Louisiana where it’s their mission to help reduce congestion on the roads.
  2.  Donate your clothes to Goodwill or the Salvation Army instead of throwing them out. According to the EPA, the average American throws away about 81 pounds of clothing every year.
  3. Buy reusable bags when you shop or as your lunch bag.
  4.  Change your paper bills to online billing. You’ll be saving trees as well as fuel by trucks who deliver the bills.
  5. Use a power strip for your electronics and appliances. It’ll be easier to switch off the one power strip instead of all of your devices. When all of your appliances are turned off but are still plugged in, they are still draining the electricity


Quizzes & Games

Find your ecological footprint

Test your recycling knowledge with this FUN interactive game

Create your own butterfly garden in your backyard

Have fun with this Earth Day Puzzle & check your answers

Earth Day 2019 - Protecting Our Species

This year, the theme of focus for Earth Day is protecting our species. According to the Earth Day Network:

  • Land-dwelling wildlife species have declined by 40% since 1970.
  • Marine animal populations have fallen by 40% overall.
  • Birds’ populations have been reduced by about 20-25%.
  • Freshwater animal populations have plummeted by 75% since 1970.
  • Insect populations have also declined dramatically. In Germany alone, insects have declined by 75% in the last 30 years.
  • Almost a quarter of the world’s coral reefs have died in the last 30 years and 75 percent of them are at risk.

The goal this year is to promote a global conservation ethic and garner more support for the protection of our species.

Learn how you can help and protect certain species.

Protecting Endangered Species

 Why bats are our friends

endangered bat
Endangered bat
Photo by livescience.com 

The majority of bats eat night-flying insects, including those that threaten crops, which reduces the need for pesticides in agriculture.  As the primary predators of night-flying insects, bats play a significant role in controlling insect populations. Studies estimate that some bats eat more than 70% of their weight in insects each night and some pregnant females eat 100% of their body weight. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists 24 bat species as critically endangered, 53 species as endangered, and 104 species as vulnerable.   Bats have contributed to many things for humans, including aids for the blind, birth control, vaccine production, and drug testing. Bats’ habitats are being destroyed and their extinction is becoming more of a reality. 

Facts on extinctions of other species

The normal rate of species extinction is 1-5 species per year. Scientists estimate we’re now losing species at 1,000 to 10,000 times the normal rate, with literally dozens of species going extinct every day. 40% of the world’s bird species are in decline, making 1 in 8 threatened with global extinction. Earth Day Network