Earth Day 2024: Google Doodle celebrates annual worldwide event - what is Earth Day?

Google is celebrating Earth Day 2024 with its traditional custom ‘Google Doodle’.

The artistic image will be spotted by millions of people using the search engine today, coinciding with Earth Day. According to the tech company, the image - which spells out the famous ‘Google’ logo - features aerial shots of “the planet's natural beauty and biodiversity”. The company added: “The Google letters showcase some of the places across the globe where people, communities and governments work every day to help protect the planet’s natural beauty, biodiversity and resources. These examples offer the promise of hope and optimism, but also remind us that there's much more to do to address the climate crisis and biodiversity loss.”

The ‘G’ in the logo features the Turks and Caicos Islands, the first ‘O’ features Scorpion Reef National Park in Mexico while the second ‘O’ shows Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland. The second ‘G’ shows Jaú National Park in Brazil, the ‘L’ comes from Great Green Wall, Nigeria, and the ‘E’ features Pilbara Islands Nature Reserves in Australia.

The search engine added: “Around the world, people are increasingly coming to Google to search for ways to live more sustainably. Today over a billion people globally will observe Earth Day, a reminder to practice sustainable habits year-round, and to continue the work needed to conserve water, electricity, and other resources.”

What is Earth Day?

Earth day is an annual worldwide event that takes place every year on April 22. It is used by billions of people across the world to show their support for the environment and environmental causes.

It was first launched in 1970, with the 2024 edition celebrating its 55th year. Each year, events take place around the world and online, allowing supports to get involved with environmental causes.

This year, the theme of the event is ‘Planet vs Plastics’ with Earthday.org, the events official co-ordinator, calling for a 60% reduction in the production of all plastics by 2040. Kathleen Rogers, president of Earthday.org, said: “The word environment means what surrounds you. In the case of plastics we have become the product itself – it flows through our blood stream, adheres to our internal organs, and carries with it heavy metals known to cause cancer and disease.

“Now this once-thought amazing and useful product has become something else, and our health and that of all other living creatures hangs in the balance. The Planet vs. Plastics campaign is a call to arms, a demand that we act now to end the scourge of plastics and safeguard the health of every living being upon our planet.”