There is no doubt that today, going green is a big thing. People are becoming more aware of the importance of sustainable living to help preserve the Earth’s resources.

With this heightened public awareness came the rise of international environment day celebrations that aim to inspire knowledge about and appreciation for the world we live in.

In April 1970, the first Earth Day was celebrated. Earth Day was conceived by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson after witnessing the dire environmental effects of the Santa Barbara Oil Spill in 1969. The first Earth Day was met with an overwhelming positive reception from the American public, as 20 million people from the United States participated. Today, Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 every year, is observed in nearly 180 countries, and attracts more than half a billion participants around the world. It is considered one of the biggest secular holidays in the world.

Another international celebration that aims to encourage political and public action for the environment is World Environment Day. It was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972, and was first celebrated on June 5, 1973. Today, it is hosted by a different city and is celebrated with a different theme every year. In 2010, Rwanda in Africa hosted the World Environment Day with the theme “Many Species. One Planet. One Future,” which helped shine a spotlight on the magnificent diversity of life on Earth as part of the celebration of the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity. All around the world, people participated by organizing activities like concerts, forums, movie festivals, exhibits and others.

Each year, on the last Sunday of March, the world also celebrates Earth Hour, a global event organized by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature, which aims to encourage households and enterprises to turn off lights and stop using other electrical equipment for one hour to raise awareness of climate change. First celebrated in Sydney in 2007, the Earth Hour celebrations have certainly grown in size and influence. Over 120 countries signed up for Earth Hour 2010 and it is estimated that about 1 billion people participated in the event.

These international environment day celebrations are being held to inspire in everyone a sense of urgency about the need to evaluate our actions and their impact on the environment. Nothing will change unless we put into practice what we learn at these celebrations. For example, you can, use natural and Eco friendly green cleaners like BabyGanics to help protect not only your family but also the environment from the effects of toxins and synthetic chemicals. And, using eco friendly natural cleaning products also helps preserve the Earth’s resources. Simple things like this will make environment day celebrations for the Earth more meaningful because you have helped the planet.