April 22, 2012 marks the 42nd anniversary of Earth Day.
With support across political, social, and economic differences, the first Earth Day in 1970 led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts.
In 1990, Earth Day mobilized 200 million people in 141 countries, expanded recycling efforts around the world, and paved the way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
Earth Day 2000 used the internet to connect 5,000 environmental groups and hundreds of millions of individuals in 184 countries.
Earth Day is now the largest secular holiday in the world, observed by one billion people.
In the spirit of their Founder, Franciscans across the globe add a distinctive voice to this celebration of God’s creation.