“John McConnell”: If Christian experience didn’t exist in my life, Earth Day wouldn’t exist either

“John McConnell” in describing Earth Day said: “If Christian experience didn’t exist in my life, Earth Day wouldn’t exist either.”

Earth Day is held twice a year during spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. April 22 has been designated as Earth Day, and the day following it is also called World Earth Day. The United Nations also celebrates this day each year on the spring equinox, a tradition introduced by peace activist “John McConnell” in 1969 at a UNESCO conference and founded as an environmental education session by American Senator “Gaylord Nelson.”

Many communities and countries also celebrate not just one day, but an entire week as Earth Day, during which they engage in environmental activities.

John said in introducing this idea: “Let every individual and institution think and act as a trustee and custodian of the Earth, in such a way as to make choices that create a sustainable future, eliminate pollution, poverty and violence, awaken the miracle of life, and write a peaceful course for humanity’s destiny.”

John, who is a peace activist and Pentecostal Christian, said about this day: “If Christian experience didn’t exist in my life, Earth Day wouldn’t exist either, or at least I wouldn’t have started it.”

Iran also designated the 2nd of Ordibehesht as “Clean Earth Day,” a naming choice that brought considerable criticism. Mohammad Darvish, an environmental researcher, criticized this naming convention, stating: “I didn’t quite understand why we set aside Mr. McConnell’s suggestion, which was much closer to nature, especially since that choice was related to our ancient tradition of Nowruz, and ultimately we have now named April 22 or the 2nd of Ordibehesht as Earth Day, but in Iran we mistakenly called it ‘Clean Earth Day.'”

He explained his objection and criticism of the title “Clean Earth Day”: “Just as we have Earth Day, we also have Women’s Day and Teachers’ Day, yet we never diminish the sanctity of a woman by distinguishing between a ‘clean woman’ and a ‘tainted’ one, or say a ‘righteous teacher’ versus an ‘unrighteous’ one. The Earth is inherently pure, and essentially when we say Earth, we emphasize Mother Nature and her generative power. When we emphasize ‘Clean Earth Day,’ it implies we also have a ‘Dirty Earth Day,’ but this dirtiness is not the Earth’s fault—it is the result of foolish human deeds that cause it.”