The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, activated 20 million Americans from all walks of life and it is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement.

President Bill Clinton awarded Senator Nelson the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1995) -- the highest honor given to civilians in the United States -- for his role as Earth Day founder.

The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts, and many other groundbreaking environmental laws soon followed.

Earth Day Network (EDN) works with over 22,000 partners in 192 countries to broaden, diversify and mobilize the environmental movement. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year.

At every turn, EDN works to broaden the definition of "environment" to include all issues that affect our health, our communities and our environment, such as greening deteriorated schools, creating green jobs and investment, and promoting activism to stop air and water pollution. But Earth Day Network does not stop there.

Over the last 40 years, EDN has executed successful environmental campaigns on issues ranging from climate change and drinking water to voter registration and saving the whale

A Billion Acts of Green ® From greening schools to hosting town hall discussions on clean energy investment and green jobs, Earth Day Network leads its network in thousands of Earth Day events and actions worldwide each year. One goal is to measurably reduce carbon emissions and supporting sustainability.

EDN’s Canopy Project made a commitment to the Global Poverty Project to plant 10 million trees over the next five years in the world’s most vulnerable communities. Over 450,000 trees are now being planted Ethiopia, Kenya, Cameroon, Haiti and in the Boreal Forests of Russia and Norway.

Trees reverse the impacts of land degradation and provide food, energy and income, helping communities to achieve long-term economic and environmental sustainability. Trees also filter the air and help stave off the effects of climate change.

In 2012, Earth Day Network made a commitment with the Global Poverty Project to plant 10 million trees over the next five years in impoverished areas of the world. Please join us to help make this commitment a reality

In Haiti alone, where earthquakes caused landslides on deforested hillsides, leading to horrific devastation, Earth Day Network planted 500,000 trees. And in three high- poverty districts in central Uganda, we planted 350,000 trees to provide local farmers with food, fuel, fencing, and soil stability. ®. Accomplishments: Over the past three years, The Canopy Project, has planted over 1.5 million trees in 18 countries.

The tree plantings are supported by sponsors and individual donations and carried out in partnership with nonprofit tree planting organizations throughout the world. We work in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme's Billion Trees Campaign. Each tree planted is counted toward A Billion Acts of Green

What is a green school? Green Schools are the most effective agents for enacting significant positive environmental and educational change in schools and communities. School greening is now the method of choice for providing healthy, comfortable and productive learning environments while saving energy, resources and money.

It is now listed as an endangered species by the Indian Government and included on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. To reverse the Asian elephant population decline, Earth Day Network India (EDN-India) has launched a three year campaign to: Campaign to Protect the Asian Elephant

1.Initiate public interest litigation against the Indian government to eliminate the EIA exemption for railway activities. 2. Launch a pan-India campaign build and mobilize a broader national citizen’s movement to support the elimination of the EIA exemption and to protect the Asian Elephants, Rhinos and Tigers.

3. Engage local community in one of India’s most important elephant habitats in a one year pilot program to develop and implement a comprehensive protection plan to reduce elephant deaths to zero from railway accidents. rg/campaign-protect- asian- elephant#sthash.DW4w y7sN.dpuf

Because it works! Earth Day broadens the base of support for environmental programs, rekindles public commitment and builds community activism around the world through a broad range of events and activities. Earth Day is the largest civic event in the world, celebrated simultaneously around the globe by people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities. More than a billion people participate in our campaigns every year. Why do we need an Earth Day?

The possibilities for getting involved are endless! Volunteer. Go to a festival. Install solar panels on your roof. Organize an event in your community. Change a habit. Help launch a community garden. Communicate your priorities to your elected representatives. Do something nice for the Earth, have fun, meet new people, and make a difference. But you needn't wait for April 22! Earth Day is Every Day. To build a better future, we all must commit to protect our environment year-round. What can I do for Earth Day?

MIDDLE SCHOOL