Earth Day Celebrated in Hungary since 1990

A variety of events were held across the country on Wednesday, April 22, to mark Earth Day, including an international professional conference, a cleanup, a living plant installation and a book launch.

Earth Day, an environmental action day — originally a grassroots initiative — began in the United States in 1970, when, at the initiative of college student Denis Hayes, 25 million Americans spoke out against landfills poisoning the soil and water, polluting industrial plants, air-polluting vehicle traffic, and the gradual disappearance of natural resources.

Over the decades, the movement has expanded globally: various awareness-raising programs are organized to promote more conscious environmental protection.

In 2009, the United Nations declared April 22 as International Mother Earth Day. In 2009, the General Assembly called upon all member states, international and regional organizations, civil society, and organizations to observe and promote International Mother Earth Day in an appropriate manner.

In Hungary, on the occasion of Earth Day, since 1990, at the initiative of civil society organizations, the Earth Day Foundation, and local governments, an increasing number of people have been participating in trash collection campaigns year after year: they clean up forests, waterfronts, fields, and the areas surrounding settlements, plant trees, and hold environmental contests. In connection with this day, outstanding experts in nature conservation are recognized with the Pro Natura Award and a commemorative plaque.

On Earth Day, environmentalists draw attention to the fact that every person can do something for the planet and their own future—at home, at work, and in their immediate or wider surroundings.

Earth Day provides an opportunity for everyone to reflect on whether they are treating the environment with care and what they are doing to ensure that nature — and the people within it — can live more healthily.