Every year on the 22nd of April, Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement. From those roots in the USA back in 1970, the Earth Day Network – also known as EARTHDAY.ORG – grew and blossomed into the global campaign that it is today. Mobilising over 1 billion people annually on Earth Day itself, it also works every other day of the year to protect the planet.
~ Updated for 2026 ~
With 10,000 events and counting, EARTHDAY.ORG harnesses the collective power of all the activities taking place across the globe. Efforts range from community cleanups and teach-ins to peaceful demonstrations and tree planting. Equally valuable are voter registration, town hall meetings and community organising – whatever it is that people are catalysed by and choose to engage with, every action strengthens the movement.
Small changes that make a big difference
Earth Day 2026’s theme, Our Power, Our Planet, emphasises how environmental progress doesn’t depend on any single political administration or the outcome of a given election. Instead, it’s about steady, increasing grass-roots momentum sustained by the daily actions of communities, educators, workers, and families who are protecting the places where they live, work and play.
This concept of daily action means that if every one of us makes small changes – and does so consistently – it all adds up. While we may each feel small or powerless in the greater scheme of things, with so much to accomplish, we all have the power to create change.
So what can one person do?
You can join in with the Earth Day community cleanups, tree plantings, or peaceful demonstrations. You can also practise ongoing activism by contacting elected officials, or educate by teaching others. Or you can make sustainable choices daily in what you buy or eat, what you wear or how you travel, and be conscious of reducing the resources you consume.
As EARTHDAY.ORG say themselves on their website, ‘When individuals act, communities form. When communities speak up, leaders listen.’ And for them, every day is Earth Day.
Focusing on the idea that small actions, applied consistently, create real change, they’ve identified many simple, everyday steps you can take to make a difference. To help you get started, EARTHDAY.ORG outline 50 ways to take action, and suggest that you might then share your own ‘act of green’ to inspire the wider community.
How the early principles continue to evolve
EARTHDAY.org has moved with the times, and they reflect what’s happening now by acknowledging stories from around the world, like the efforts and positive impacts of Gen Z, and the latest scientific breakthroughs to help address environmental challenges.
In the travel sphere, through a focus on conservation, over the years ethical and responsible practices have emerged. Destination-centred tourism came to the forefront in discussions around how we can be an asset as voyagers, instead of a burden. Sustainable tourists realised that we not only have to look after the places we call home, but we must do the same for the destinations we visit.
At Resonate, by putting this responsibility in focus, our contributors and team members have not only raised some big issues, but also offered possible solutions. Subject experts from Jo Hendrickx, who showed how we can find strategies to avoid single-use plastic when travelling, to Jean-Claude Razel, who took us on a transition trip from growth to sufficiency, opened our eyes to shifts in how we can benefit destinations.
Putting principle into practise in our own team
Resonate’s co-creators, Linda Veråsdal and Raj Gyawali have also looked at answers to key questions, from Linda’s examination of how eating locally nourishes host communities to Raj’s thoughts on effective ways to help in the aftermath of a natural disaster.
And as our editor, I myself have tried to highlight ways to tread more gently on the planet, whether we’re leaving no trace of our presence, eating more seasonally, thinking twice about going to the same destinations as everyone else or simply lightening the load.
Everyone in our community takes to heart the idea that every day is Earth Day, and we acknowledge that we have no alternative but to cherish, respect, and protect this big, beautiful blue marble of ours. After all, it’s the only one we have.
Progress does not happen in silence – it happens when people show up. Find out more about how you too can show up at EARTHDAY.ORG
