Earth Day is the designation of April 22 as a day to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. Earth day was a day founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in held on April 22, 1970. While this first Earth Day was focused on the United States, an organization launched by Denis Hayes, who was the original national coordinator in 1970, took it international in 1990 and organized events in 141 nations. Earth Day is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network, and is celebrated in more than 175 countries every year.

April 22 corresponds to spring (season) in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Numerous communities celebrate Earth Week, an entire week of activities focused on environmental issues. World Environment Day, celebrated on June 5 in a different nation every year, remains the principal United Nations environmental observance.

世界地球日即每年的4月22日，是一项世界性的环境保护活动。

活动起源于美国。1970年4月22日，在美国民主党参议员盖洛德•尼尔森（Gaylord Nelson）和哈佛大学学生丹尼斯•海斯的倡议和组织下，美国数十万群众参与了声势浩大的“地球日”活动，呼吁创造一个清洁、简单、和平的生活环境。作为现代环保运动的开端，“地球日”活动推动了多个国家环境法规的建立。

1990年4月22日，全球140多个国家、2亿多人同时在世界各地举行形式多样的环境保护宣传活动，呼吁改善全球整体环境。这项活动得到了联合国的肯定。

2009年4月22日，第63届联合国大会一致通过决议，决定将今后每年的4月22日定为“世界地球日”。

（中国日报网英语点津 Helen 编辑）