Earth Day is the largest, most celebrated environmental event worldwide.

Ottawa, Ontario — Tilly O’Neill-Gordon, Member of Parliament for Miramichi, invites you to celebrate Earth Day on April 22. This annual event marks the birth of the environmental movement as we know it today. It was celebrated for the first time in 1970, when U.S. senator Gaylord Nelson encouraged students to launch environmental awareness projects in their communities.

“It’s not only important but essential for people to become more aware of the need to change their consumer behaviour. Over the past few years, we have seen devastating environmental catastrophes occur more and more frequently as a direct result of our interaction with our environment,“ said O’Neill-Gordon.

“On this day of awareness, I invite everyone in the riding of Miramichi to do something for the environment. With each small act, we reduce our energy consumption and start changing our bad habits,” she added.

Earth Day sends a very clear message that people around the world want quick and decisive action in support of clean energy. More than 500 million people in 184 countries mark Earth Day each year. Over time, this day has become the largest participatory environmental event in the world.

The Kyoto Protocol came into effect four years ago. It provides a timetable for reducing emissions of the six greenhouse gases that are considered the main cause of global warming over the past 50 years. The Protocol includes firm commitments by 38 industrialized nations, including Canada, to reduce emissions, and in particular a commitment to reduce overall emissions of carbon dioxide by 5.2% from 1990 levels by 2012.

“We will continue to work very hard to achieve these objectives and improve Canada’s environmental situation,” said O’Neill-Gordon.