What’s Earth Day?

1. On April 22, 1970, 20 million people across America took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums in observance of the first Earth Day. It was a time when cities were buried under their own smog and polluted rivers caught fire Earth Day was organized to promote the ideas of ecology, encourage respect for life on earth, and highlight the growing concern over pollution of the soil, air, and water. The goal was to bring about environmental reform Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values. The first Earth Day led to the creation of many important laws passed by US Congress. These include the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the passage of the Clean Air Act, Clean Water, and Endangered Species acts. As 1990 approached Earth Day went global, mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries and lifting the status of environmental issues on to the world stage. Earth Day 1990 gave a huge boost to recycling efforts worldwide and helped pave the way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Today Earth Day is celebrated annually around the globe. Lexmark is committed to being a socially responsible company in our global community. As a result of our commitment, Lexmark has been observing Earth Day globally since 2003. What’s Earth Day? We invite you to be a part of this history, part of this future and part of this planet. Discover energy you didn't even know you had. Feel it rumble through the grass roots under your feet and the technology at your fingertips…