Celebrating Earth Day 2024: Protecting Our Planet for Generations to Come
As an educator with extensive experience teaching biology and environmental science, I’ve worked with schools to celebrate Earth Day. This has helped students to understand its importance and to enjoy learning about how they can help protect our planet. Now, as Environmental Studies Content Creator for Save My Exams, I will tell you a bit more about Earth Day 2024 and how we are raising awareness of environmental issues amongst our students here at Save My Exams!
Contents
What is Earth Day?
Earth Day, celebrated every April 22nd, is more than just a day marked on the calendar; it's a global movement aimed at raising awareness about environmental issues and encouraging action to protect our planet. It all started in 1970 when Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin saw the damage caused by an oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. He wanted to make a change, so he created the first Earth Day. Since then, the Earth Day movement has inspired millions to show their support and demand action for a cleaner, healthier planet.
Earth Day 2024: Planet vs. Plastics
This year, Earth Day's theme is "Planet vs. Plastics". It's all about tackling one of our biggest environmental problems: plastic pollution. Earthday.org, a leading environmental group, is determined to stop plastics from harming us and our planet. They're asking for a 60% cut in plastic production by 2040 and want everyone to understand how dangerous plastics can be.
Many plastics are single-use and non-biodegradable, meaning they cannot naturally break down and decompose
Why Planet vs. Plastics?
Earthday.org has highlighted the following plastic pollution problems and priorities:
Problems and Priorities | Why they are important to address |
Health Risk | From contaminating waterways to endangering wildlife in our oceans, plastic pollution threatens our planet’s ecosystems and biodiversity, as well as human health. |
Demand Change | We need to act fast to solve the plastic crisis. This means rapidly phasing out all single-use plastics, pushing for stronger rules against plastic pollution, and saying no to fast fashion, which adds to the plastic waste problem. |
Innovative Solutions | We can find better ways to deal with plastic pollution by investing in new ideas and materials, such as hi-tech ocean cleanup technologies and biodegradable plant-based “bioplastics”. By supporting research and new initiatives, we can make a world without plastic pollution a reality. |
Babies vs. Plastics | Recent research highlights the negative impact of microplastics on the health of babies and young children. This is a serious issue that requires immediate action. |
Plastics can injure or kill marine organisms and break down into microplastics, which can be eaten and passed up the food chain
Explore Our Environment-Related Revision Notes
At Save My Exams, we recognise the importance of educating the next generation on environmental issues. We invite students to explore our comprehensive revision notes related to our planet and sustainability, written by our subject experts. If you are preparing for your exams or just want to deepen your understanding of environmental issues, the following newly-released resources cover a range of environmental topics.
Newly-released Revision Notes
New IB ESS HL Revision Notes
For students studying the International Baccalaureate Environmental Systems & Societies from 2024 onwards, prepare for your IB ESS Higher Level exams with our comprehensive study materials, including the all-new 'Environmental Lenses' content covering Environmental Law, Environmental Economics, and Environmental Ethics. Designed to align with the curriculum for exams in 2026, our revision notes provide essential guidance for success.
Aspects covered by environmental law
New AQA GCSE Business Revision Notes
Gain a deeper understanding of environmental considerations and sustainability within the context of business studies with our latest revision notes tailored to the AQA GCSE Business curriculum. Explore key concepts and case studies to ace your business exams.
New IB Geography HL Revision Notes
Explore key themes and concepts with our newly released Geography Higher Level revision notes for the IB program. From human-environment interactions to global challenges, our resources offer comprehensive coverage to support your geography studies.
As we celebrate Earth Day and remember our commitment to environmental stewardship, let's empower the next generation to make informed decisions and contribute to a more sustainable future.
Happy Earth Day! 🌎🌱
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Written by Alistair Marjot
Biology & Environmental Systems and Societies3 articlesAlistair graduated from Oxford University with a degree in Biological Sciences. He has taught GCSE/IGCSE Biology, as well as Biology and Environmental Systems & Societies for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. While teaching in Oxford, Alistair completed his MA Education as Head of Department for Environmental Systems & Societies. Alistair has continued to pursue his interests in ecology and environmental science, recently gaining an MSc in Wildlife Biology & Conservation with Edinburgh Napier University.
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