Today marks 54 years of celebrating Earth Day, a day meant to inspire all Americans to celebrate the living organisms that make up the environment around us and generate action to protect the planet.

Since the founding of the League, we have been focused on protecting the environment and we continue to do important work in this area. The League was at the forefront of efforts to protect air, land, and water resources in the 1960s and 1970s when the move to create Earth Day began.  

The creation of Earth Day in 1970 brought together leaders from all political parties, economic backgrounds, communities, and interests. It also led to the creation of landmark legislation like the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act. These laws have protected the public health of millions of Americans by setting standards to keep our air and water clean, and are now used in the fight against climate change and the human impact on our changing world.