The first Earth Day – April 22, 1970 – marked the beginning of the modern environmental movement. Approximately 20 million Americans, especially on college campuses, participated in a national teach-in on environmental issues and protests against environmental deterioration on the first Earth Day. It’s hard to imagine it now, but the first Earth Day was a revelation to many, a way not only of raising consciousness about environmental issues but also of bringing together separate groups that had been fighting separately against issues including oil spills, pollution from factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, the loss of wilderness, air pollution and more. Since then, Earth Day is always celebrated on April 22.
Find the Green initiative was among the first projects of the Youth Council of the U.S. Embassy in Macedonia by engaging several municipalities and numerous schools across the country to contribute for a cleaner and healthier environment. This year to continue the tradition, the Youth Council for the second time undertook a cleanup eco action in celebration of Earth Day April, 22nd for raising the awareness among the youth as carriers of future. In a world struggling with global warming and the spite, we believe that encouraging and engaging youth to become aware and take action regarding environmental issues is crucial in forming good habits as well as preservation of the environment and the Earth. In our initiative this year we included local actors such as: elementary schools, high schools, organizations and the like to begin a cleanup action and set a good example for the community starting from the immediate surroundings as school yards and the neighborhood by picking up scattered trash and throwing it in the designated containers.
On the photos below you can see who got involved in our grassroots cleanup action. We would like to thank each and every of them for being part of the Find the Green 2014.
Photos of Find the Green 2014 (click on the link)