Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on 22nd April, a precious opportunity to raise awareness about good practices of environmental care.
Its first celebration was in 1970, following a protest by 20 million citizens caused by a spillage from a well drilled by Union Oil, in Santa Barbara, California. Since then, 22nd April has become a day emblematic of an interest in the place where we live. As many as 192 countries, including Italy, commit to realize events bringing attention to this extremely important topic for our present and future. The aim is to assess the environmental issues with a focus on the research for solutions able to modify humankind’s bad habits.

Events in Italy
Among this year’s most relevant events is Villaggio per la Terra (Village for Earth) in Rome: five days, from 21st to 25th April, packed with cultural events, concerts, exhibitions, performances, sport activities and workshops for children. The festival is held in Villa Borghese, on the Terrazza del Pincio and in the Galoppatoio.
At the MADRE museum, in Naples, Michelangelo Pistoletto opened the festival Happy Earth Days (21st and 22nd April), presenting his latest book-manifesto “Ominiteism and Demopraxy”.

Event at cinemas
On the occasion, BBC Earth Films distributed the documentary “Earth – An extraordinary day” (see trailer below), shown at cinemas across Italy from 22nd to 24th April. Realized by directors of the calibre of Richard Dale (The Human Body) and Peter Webber (The Girl with the Pearl Earring), the narrator in the Italian version is Diego Abatantuono. The film accompanies the spectator in the course of a day, from sunrise to sunset, narrating the daily life of animals in an ironical, involving and intense way. Travelling around different places, the adventures of zebras, monkeys, lions, sloths, penguins and other species are investigated in an intimate and voyeuristic, unique and moving manner.

Since its first edition, the Earth Day has led people to find new values in environmental issues which are pressing – and must be pressing – the common interest. The theme of the safeguard of the environment has become a hot and continuously discussed topic which finds in the Earth Day an important contribution in raising awareness and finding solutions able to slow down the deterioration of our planet.