 April 22 is Earth Day, the event that environmentalists created 46 years ago to raise awareness of issues such as pollution and deforestation, and the need for us all to come together to find solutions and protect the planet where we live. While the real takeaway on any Earth Day is the well-worn adage that ‘every day is Earth Day’ and that we should be proactively reducing our planetary footprint at all times, there are some unique features to Earth Day 2016. Since the first Earth Day 46 years ago in 1970, the global population has doubled and demand for food, energy, and natural resources has continued to take a devastating toll on the planet that we rely on to sustain us. At least 155 nations will gather in New York on Friday to sign the historic Paris Agreement on climate change reached last December—including the two largest greenhouse gas emitters, the United States and China.
– Friday marks the 46th celebration of Earth Day, and there's no lack of commemorative trivia, deals, and think pieces honoring Mother Nature and the environment. Here, a roundup of our favorites: No, the Earth's not flat, but it's not exactly perfectly round, either. Discovery.com explains that, and 6 other surprising facts about our planet. Starting with 1970's "Environmental Magna Carta," National Geographic lists 46 milestones that have taken place since the first Earth Day. CNN explains why, despite "melting ice sheets, intensifying heat waves … [and] dying elephants," we're not completely doomed. Some Earth Day deals from around the Web via ABC7, including a big Best Buy sale on energy-efficient appliances. Fusion reveals why this Earth Day is different from all past Earth Days. Point: why more than 130 countries signing the Paris climate agreement at the UN Friday is a bad idea, per the Federalist. Counterpoint: why it's a "genuinely good" idea, according to Mother Jones. The Christian Science Monitor gets philosophical and wonders: Do people even care about Earth Day anymore? Check out which celebrities have been deemed the "greenest" stars in the past.