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As Guyana and the world celebrated Earth Day on Friday, April 22, 2016, President David Granger joined world leaders from 160 countries to officially sign the Paris Climate Agreement. The aim of Earth Day is to promote awareness and appreciation of the Earth’s ecosystem and the environment.The agreement originated from the Paris Conference held last December and was agreed upon by the world leaders in order to stem global warming and protect the environment from further destruction. It was the world’s greatest diplomatic and political success.During the Paris conference, the world leaders agreed to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius and the developed countries have pledged US$100 billion to help the developing countries by 2020.The Paris Accord makes this year’s Earth Day one of the most important and the most recognizable face of the environmental movement. Activities associated with Earth Day often include the planting of trees, raising awareness about recycling, promoting green projects, and reducing the amount of energy consumed by nations.The goal of the organizers of Earth Day is to encourage billions of people around the world to reduce the use of fossil fuels and to plant 7.8 billion trees which is this year’s theme “Trees for the Earth.”Earth Day 2016 marks its 46th Anniversary. It began in 1970 by Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, after witnessing the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California.Earth Day 1970 gave voice to that emerging consciousness, channeling the energy of the anti-war protest movement and putting environmental concerns on the front page. It is a day in which everyone focuses on the environment, celebrate the planet and encourage others to be more environmentally friendly.It is also a day of action that has changed human behaviour and has provoked policy changes. Earth Day has led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts.Earth Day has achieved a rare political and social alignment around the world with support from governments, political parties, labour unions, tycoons, University, college and high school students and many others who have not only opposed the destruction of the environment but also believe that the world should move towards greener and more sustainable economies. The Internet which is its principal organizing tool has proved invaluable in spreading the message.Earth Day has attained the esteemed status as the largest secular observance in the world. Guyanese from all across the country have joined more than one billion people in 193 countries in promoting a clean and greener environment. They believe that the environment should be protected for future generations and many have joined this year’s Earth Day activities which include garbage and litter pick-up, the unclogging of drains, canals, trenches and culverts, the planting of trees and educating the general population on the importance of the environment.Earth Day has sent the world leaders, especially those in the developed countries, a clear message that citizens around the world wanted quick and decisive action on global warming, clean energy, an end to pollution, oil spills and unsafe nuclear power plants, better control of raw sewage, toxic dumps and pesticides, and an end to the destruction of the forests and the extinction of wildlife.Earth Day transcends all national borders, yet it preserves all geographical integrities, it spans mountains, oceans, races and religion, yet it brings people of all lineages from all over the world into one common accord. It is devoted to the preservation of nature, yet it draws upon the successes of technology, the measurement of time, and instantaneous communication to deal with the threats that the planet faces, the protection of the environment and humanity’s values.