What is Earth Day and why do we celebrate it? [Video]

WASHINGTON — Every year on April 22, more than a billion people celebrate our great planet. It all started back in 1970 thanks to Gaylord Nelson,  a senator from Wisconsin, who organized a national demonstration to raise awareness about environmental issues. By the end of that year, the Environmental Protection Agency was born and the event led to support for legislation like the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act.

So for the past 50 plus years, people from all across the planet have been coming together on Earth Day to honor the achievements of the environmental movement and raise aware of the need to protect our natural resources for future generations. According to National Geographic, the core issues Earth Day recognizes include: