Fifty years have passed since 1970. Then as now, people were preparing to begin a new decade marked by fresh awareness and attention towards the care of the Earth and its natural resources. It was in this context that the idea of Earth Day, the Day of the Earth, was born. It was 22 April 1970. Today this anniversary is celebrated in hundreds of countries around the world, with demonstrations, concerts and events that have consolidated and broadened the environmentalist movement, which was born in those very years.

Read also: Earth Day, what is World Earth Day and why it is celebrated

Earth Day 2020

The theme for this year's World Earth Day is climate action. This day not only falls fifty years after the first demonstration, but also comes at the start of the crucial decade in the fight against the climate crisis. Climate action now represents the greatest opportunity to change the future that humanity is heading towards. Many initiatives had been planned in Italy and around the world to mark this occasion, but due to the coronavirus epidemic, which has been bringing the planet to its knees since the beginning of the year and has led to forced isolation in several countries, many of these activities have been postponed or moved online.

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The words of the president of Earth Day Italia

"For fifty years an entire day dedicated to the Earth has been celebrated. It is the United Nations day, a moment that involves billions of people in 193 countries," Pierluigi Sassi, president of Earth Day Italia, told us. "Italy was called upon to open the celebrations in order to offer them to Pope Francis, and due to the coronavirus it was decided to hold a great global multimedia marathon involving a great many organisations. The Italian marathon is called One people, one planet, an opportunity to send a message of hope at a difficult time."

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Another day, another incredible lineup of confirmed speakers for the #EarthDayLive global program!

Tune in TOMORROW 9 am ET for musical performances and bold calls to action from some of the world's most inspiring voices for our planet: earthday.org/earth-day-live | #EarthDay2020

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The environmentalist movement today

Over the years the environmentalist movement has evolved to the point of giving rise today to the Friday climate strikes, created by Fridays for Future, which have brought together millions of people around the world, increasingly engaged with the environment around them. Data from LifeGate's National Observatory on Sustainable Lifestyles show that this year 38 per cent of Italians declare themselves passionate about the topic of sustainability, and a further 34 per cent say they are interested. In total, therefore, 36 million Italians feel involved — a figure almost double that of 2015, when the observatory was founded and there were "only" 21 million.

Read also: The climate strike is the sublimation of the highest form of protest

At a global level, the pressure exerted by the environmentalist movement has even led to a change in the vocabulary used for climate issues. Activists have succeeded in communicating the urgency of actions to protect the environment and, in doing so, have created new forms of protest and a new language to describe them. The Collins Dictionary, the British equivalent of the Treccani, named "climate strike" its word of 2019, recognising a surge in its use, while the Oxford English Dictionary named "climate emergency" its word of the year, for its ability to convey the concerns of those who use it.

The environmentalist movement at a political level

At the political level too, leaders who are genuinely passionate about environmental issues are emerging, willing to defend them even in the face of opposition from lobbyists. Such is the case of Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, representative of the New York district in Congress, who launched the Green New Deal because she is firmly convinced that "climate change represents a direct threat to national security." During a parliamentary session she stated openly that fighting the climate crisis should not be an issue for elites, and that everyone should have the right to breathe clean air.

Much has changed since that 22 April 1970, but there is greater awareness of the choices we make, greater care for our neighbour — whether human, animal or plant. As Martin Jennings, one of the activists who took part in the first Earth Day, used to say: "Back then there was so much enthusiasm, a genuine passion that was infectious for everyone, because people believed they could make a difference." They did make a difference, and they continue to do so, then as now.