Biden Declares April 22 Earth Day, Urges Americans to Deepen Knowledge of Climate Change

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Joe Biden issued a proclamation declaring April 22 Earth Day while encouraging Americans to embrace actions and practices that will help mitigate climate change.

Earth Day is an annual event, first held in 1970, that consists of activities aimed at supporting environmental protection. Friday's Earth Day events are expected to be held in more than 190 countries involving one billion people, according to EarthDay.org.

"I, Joseph R. Biden Jr., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 22, 2022, as Earth Day," the statement, issues by the White House on Thursday, said. "I encourage all Americans to participate in programs and activities that will deepen their understanding of environmental protection... [and] the urgency of climate change."

Biden discussed the deleterious effects of not working aggressively to combat climate change citing statistics illustrating the damage caused in 2020 by climate disasters and extreme weather such as flooding, tornadoes, wildfire and droughts as well as climate disasters which cost American communities about $145 billion and took hundreds of American lives.

"Environmental injustices continue to exact a toll on the health of communities of color, low-income communities, and Tribal and Indigenous communities," Biden said.

Meanwhile, Biden added, an incalculable number of wildlife species in the United States and around the world are facing an extinction crisis unmatched in human history.