World Meteorological Day

Trees play such an important role in our environment. They absorb harmful carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and produce the oxygen we all need to breathe. Their roots prevent erosion by holding the soil intact and filter water by removing pollutants. With the reality of increasingly unpredictable weather patterns and more frequent and violent storms/floods, prevent devastating soil erosion has never been more important.

Trees provide so many other benefits. In rural and high-poverty areas, trees improve livelihoods. They act as a source of food or as a cash crop like coffee. In urban areas, shade trees keep sidewalks and buildings cool and help reduce noise levels. Everywhere in the world, trees are a source of joy, beauty, and inspiration.

• Top 5 Reasons to Love Trees. Just one acre of newly planted trees absorbs 2.5 tons of CO2 annually.
• Green Your City From the Ground Up. Activate your city and put it on the map
• Trees4Earth: Help Us Plant Trees. Plant trees to combat climate change.
• Global Day of Conversation. Campaign for Communities Engages with Mayors and Local Officials .
• Planting Trees at Schools. Making connections in classrooms around the world

The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, activated 20 million Americans from all walks of life and is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement. The passage of the landmark Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act and many other groundbreaking environmental laws soon followed.

Twenty years later, Earth Day went global, mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries and lifting environmental issues onto the world stage. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year.