In honor of Earth day today, I thought I might share some interesting facts:

• First celebrated in 1970, Earth Day is now is observed in over 190 countries.

• In 1969, peace activist John McConnell proposed a day to honor the Earth and the concept of peace, to be celebrated on March 21, 1970, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere.

• A month later a separate Earth Day was founded by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in. It was first held on April 22, 1970.

• Nelson chose the date in order to maximize participation on college campuses and the week of April 19–25 was the best bet as it did not fall during exams or spring breaks.

• On Earth Day 2016, the landmark Paris Agreement was signed by the United States, China, and some 120 other countries.

You can get more info here www.earthday.org. I hope that our politicians recongnize how critical it is, especially now, to take care of the planet we call home.