Love to your mother: Earth Day facts and figures
On the 39th anniversary of the first Earth Day, take a look at how the celebration and the planet have changed.
By PlentyMag.comMon, Apr 06 2009 at 1:54 PM EST
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Illustration: Julia Hoffman 
Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970, and has been growing strong ever since. Here's a look back at our Earth Day roots, with updates of the latest numbers.
20 million: Number of people who celebrated the first Earth Day
200 million: Number of people who celebrated Earth Day in 1990
500 million: Number of people who celebrated Earth Day in 2000
175: Number of countries worldwide that celebrate a designated Earth Day
3.7 billion: World population in 1970
6.7 billion: World population in 2009
65.2 million: Number of Google hits for "Earth Day"
146 million: Number of Google hits for "Green Day"
111.2 million: Number of vehicles on the road in the United States in 1970
238.3 million: Number of vehicles on the road in the United States in 2009
20: Number of cars needed to emit the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions as one pre-1970 model
57.2°: Average global temperature from 1970-1979 (in degrees Fahrenheit)
58.3°: Average global temperature from 2000-2008 (in degrees Fahrenheit)
220,000: Tons of U.S. lead emissions in 1970
4,000: Tons of U.S. lead emissions in 2008
75: Percent increase in greenhouse gas emissions from 1970 to 2004
100 million: Number of plastic bags thrown away annually in the United States
0: Number of plastic bags available at Whole Foods as of Earth Day 2008
150 million: Estimated number of plastic bags that have been kept out of landfills since Earth Day 2008
This article originally appeared in Plenty in April 2008.
Copyright Environ Press 2008
See MNN's latest Earth Day stories: Earth Day on the Mother Nature Network
Comments
heykateypoop
02/20/2011 18:34 PM
dont be mean
kateypooop
02/13/2011 18:25 PM
jeese earth freaks get a life
teressa
11/06/2010 05:10 AM
we must love our mother earth
Melo A
04/28/2010 08:23 AM
i dont care if we al did our part we wouldnt need an earthday
Kasandra
04/26/2010 16:23 PM
This helped me with a class assignment, thanks so much! :D
Mrs. Jackson
04/23/2010 12:25 PM
who cares im ready to go back to God! i thought it was mother nature not mother earth.
JELLY
04/22/2010 14:30 PM
I love my earth!!!!! :) <3
JELLY
04/22/2010 14:30 PM
I love my earth!!!!! :) <3
i <3 earth
03/30/2010 13:25 PM
i love earth and so sould you.
Matt Wiggins
11/10/2009 16:20 PM
GO EARTH DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dianne Tuck
04/22/2009 09:13 AM
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