Past Forward: Earth Day 2023

In honor of Earth Day 2023, we present #PastForward: A week of programming here on Green Matters honoring the spirit of the very first Earth Day, which was all about protesting against the environmental hazards hurting humanity.

Held on April 22, 1970, that day brought together an estimated 20 million people, whose demands quickly led to the founding of the EPA. Earth Day then evolved into an international holiday, which still encourages people to hold protests annually on Earth Day to this day.

However, the rise of capitalism has led to Earth Day also becoming something else: an excuse for companies to hold sales; a vague buzzword and greenwashing tactic; and a reason for people to post photos of themselves celebrating nature on social media.⁠

And while we at Green Matters are big advocates of shopping sustainably and hugging trees, those things are not what Earth Day should be about. So for Earth Day this year, we’re bringing the Past Forward. Our stories this week will focus on the evolution of Earth Day over the past five decades, how to maintain the spirit of the original Earth Day, the activists who are protesting and suing the government over environmental justice issues, and more.

Stay tuned for Green Matters’ Past Forward programming.