Everyday is Earth Day, as the saying goes. Today, however, marks the official celebration.

The first Earth Day – spearheaded by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin – was held on April 22, 1970. An estimated 20 million people attended rallies across the country to protest against rampant industrial pollution and the deterioration of the nation’s natural environment. Raising public awareness and shifting the political tide, these events helped put environmental issues on the national agenda. They lead to the creation of the EPA and the passage of the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act.

Today, forty-five years after the original, Earth Day is celebrated in 192 countries across the globe. Some communities have even expanded the celebration into Earth Week. These continuing efforts to raise environmental awareness are more important than ever as we face the challenges of Climate Change.

To learn more about Earth Day events near you and actions you can take to help the environment, visit: http://www.earthday.org/2015

To measure your personal carbon footprint, visit: http://www3.epa.gov/carbon-footprint-calculator/

Earthrise. Image Credit: William Anders/NASA