1 Billion Hands Make Light Work

Internationally recognized in 2014, World NGO Day honors global non-profit organizations as powerful guiding forces advancing the rights of marginalized people everywhere. NGOs serve the people; when minority voices are drowned out, NGOs speak up. When drought and famine threaten families, NGOs facilitate donations and relief. And when an impending climate crisis knocks on Earth’s door, environmental organizations like EARTHDAY.ORG answer the call for change.

Let’s take a step back and trace EARTHDAY.ORG from its infancy and the very first Earth Day to the global nonprofit it has become.

The Oil Spill that Sparked Environmental Awareness

Leading up to the birth of the first Earth Day, the average American wasn’t aware that the leaded gas of automobiles, smoke and sludge from industry pipes, and raw sewage and chemicals in public waters were harming their environment and health. Smog clouding skyscrapers in cities like Los Angeles contained airborne pollutants such as lead and ozone which can trigger asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes, cancer, and premature death. It wasn’t until after Rachel Carson’s 1962 book Silent Spring connected pesticides with public health and the environment that Americans began to wake up and connect the dots: the very industries people relied on or worked for were poisoning them.

In January 1969, fourteen months before the first Earth Day, a massive oil spill devastated the coasts of Santa Barbara, California. Images of oil soaked birds, surfboards, and blackened coastlines popped up in newspapers and on televisions across the country, exposing the devastating effects of fossil fuel disasters. Union Oil had persuaded the government to grant the company a waiver to bypass environmental protection requirements. Less than two weeks into drilling, a buildup of pressure prompted a blowout of almost 3 million gallons of oil. That’s enough oil to fill 4.5 Olympic swimming pools!

Senator Gaylord Nelson, one of the founders of Earth Day, visited the spill site and surveyed the damage. Later, as Nelson reflected on the oil spill disaster while on a plane to Berkeley, he read about anti-war student protests and teach-ins. Inspiration struck him like a bolt of lightning and Nelson founded a non-profit organization called “Earth Day” to organize his own protests and teach-ins centered on the environment.

The Roots of Change

From day one, the Earth Day movement has embraced grassroots organizing as a tool to put people first. Senator Nelson recruited activist and 25-year-old Stanford graduate Dennis Hayes to help organize campus teach-ins and scale his idea across the country. To maximize student participation, Nelson and Hayes chose April 22, a day between Spring Break and finals. 

Hayes built a national staff and spread the word with grassroots tactics. He sent organizers to college campuses, civic groups, newspapers, and community organizations to garner support. One of Hayes’ greatest supporters was the United Auto Workers who printed newsletters and covered Hayes’ and Nelson’s fledgling organization’s postage.

Soon, a wide array of organizations and faith groups joined together under the Earth Day banner. The name “Earth Day” spread like wildfire and caught widespread media attention. That very first Earth Day, 20 million Americans — 10% of the U.S. population at the time — took to the streets to fight against the industries polluting the environment and endangering human health. 

The genius of Nelson’s and Hayes’ vision for Earth Day lay in the event’s inclusivity. One of the first people recruited by Nelson to the non-profit was conservation-minded Republican Pete McCloskey. Left-leaning thinkers saw the conservative area of Santa Barbara band together behind the environmental movement and decided to join too. They hoped the movement would evolve into a larger critique of American society. 

With both sides of the aisle banding together to protect both people and the environment, their fight quickly produced results. In 1970, a year after the oil spill, bipartisan efforts paved the way for President Richard Nixon to create the Environmental Protection Agency, an agency designed to respond to future contamination disasters.

Bipartisan efforts created the first Earth Day. Democrats, conservatives, middle-class women, students, and scientists came together to demonstrate for the environment. More than 1,500 teach-ins took place nationwide, including speakers, performances, and workshops. At the University of Michigan, Senator Nelson himself spoke, and workshops ranged from “spiritual perspectives on the environment” to a computer simulation of urban growth.

Earth Day helped birth the environmental movement.

Snapshots of Evolution

The next decades capped a number of achievements for the environment, at home and abroad. The United States passed substantial environmental regulation including the Toxic Substances Control Act (1976), the Hazardous and Solid Wastes Amendment (1984), and the Clean Air Amendments (1977, 1990). These regulations aimed to tighten U.S. environmental policies by regulating the presence of toxic substances in food, drugs, cosmetics, and pesticides, governing the disposal of solid waste, and reducing air and water pollution. In 1987, all U.N. member states signed the Montreal Proclamation, marking a global commitment to protect the ozone layer.

The ’90s brought true international expansion. Earth Day mobilized over 200 million people in 141 countries to spotlight environmental issues around the world. The movement also helped pave the way for the first United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. The Summit aimed to develop a fresh blueprint for international action on environmental and development issues to guide international cooperation in the 21st century. 

From the 2000s on, Earth Day grew in leaps and bounds. Earth Day 2000 events included a talking drum chain in Gabon and major protests at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. In 2016, the U.N. chose Earth Day to sign the Paris Agreement, the most important climate accord in the environmental movement’s history. Even during COVID-19, when activists could not come together in person, Earth Day mobilized over 1 billion people online for a three-day commemorative livestream of Earth Day’s 50th anniversary. And the Earth Day movement is still going strong.

Earth Day Today

EARTHDAY.ORG has evolved into a global network consisting of volunteers, dedicated initiatives, and a robust communications team. 

One such volunteer is Bella Kagisa from Tanzania. She grew up planting trees and flowers with her father. As a child, she loved getting to know different species of plants by their biological and Swahili names. Inspired by her father’s legacy, Kagisa is now an environmental scientist, working as an ambassador for the environment and encouraging others to get involved and plant trees.

While individual volunteers support our mission locally, EARTHDAY.ORG’s global initiatives also address a spectrum of environmental issues. The Canopy Tree Project combats deforestation as well as bolstering local communities with education and economic benefits. The Climate Education campaign promotes robust climate education through school curricula, advocacy packets, and toolkits designed to empower informed decision-making and civic engagement. The Great Global Cleanup aims to connect cleanup initiatives across the world working to rid the world of waste and plastic pollution.

EARTHDAY.ORG’s hardworking communications team ties the movement and all its floating pieces together. Whether through inspirational posts on LinkedIn, aesthetic snapshots on Instagram or Facebook, or powerful statements on X, there’s a little spark of Earth-centered joy for everyone. EARTHDAY.ORG also stays up to date with news and stories, from eco-friendly Valentines day gift ideas to spotlighting the latest in biodegradable batteries — say hi to Ziggy! Want these delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for email alerts here.

This World NGO Day, EARTHDAY.ORG wants to say thank you for adding your voice to the fight for our planet. People power meaningful change. EARTHDAY.ORG exists to speak up and act for everyone concerned about the environment, and we will continue to stand tall for planet Earth in years to come — all thanks to you.You can be a part of EARTHDAY.ORG’s legacy by donating today. Can’t give? Check out our 50 Earth Day Tips and make sure to sign up for updates on Earth Day 2026.