All you want to know on Earth Day

Chennai

Every year, more than one billion people across the world mark the event by showing support for environmental protection. Festivals, rallies and outdoor events are held in nearly 200 countries - often, with the support of A-list celebrities and political leaders. But why do we celebrate Earth Day? And how is it observed by people globally? Here are a few interesting facts about Earth Day.

• Earth Day aims to encourage people across the world to be more environmentally friendly by either increasing the amount they recycle or volunteering for a local green project or installing solar panels at their home.
• The day has its own flag, which was created by US peace activist John McConnell and, perhaps unsurprisingly, features a picture of the world on it. It also has its own anthems – one of which is performed to the tune of Beethoven’s Ode To Joy, but with lyrics about protecting the planet.
• This year, on April 22, at least 130 countries are set to sign the Paris Agreement on climate change. The historic agreement, which was adopted by consensus in the French capital in December, will be deposited at the United Nations in New York in a bid to get all countries to sign up to it. The agreement ‘sets out a global action plan to put the world on track to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2C’. It is scheduled to come into force in 2020.