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 50th Anniversary of Earth Day Souvenir Sheet, Scott 1739 (2020) April 22 is Earth Day, a celebration focused on the need to conserve the Earth’s natural resources. In 2020, Vatican City issued a souvenir sheet to mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, which originated in 1970. In 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco, peace activist John McConnell proposed a day to "honor the Earth and the concept of peace". One of the driving events behind the establishment of Earth Day in the United States was a massive oil spill off the coast of California at Santa Barbara in March of 1969. The scope of the spill and the devastation it created drove US Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, who flew over the 800-square-mile oil slick created by the spill, to propose a nationwide environmental teach-in on April 22, 1970. Designed to demonstrate support for environmental protection, Earth Day now includes a wide range of events on a global scale.  Special Year Dedicated to the Encyclical Laudato si' Cover to Vatican City Postcard Set, 2020 The 50th anniversary of Earth Day coincided with the fifth anniversary of the issuance of the Papal encyclical Laudato si’ (Praise Be To You), from Pope Francis in 2015. In this, his second encyclical (subtitled "On care for our common home"), the pope criticizes the impacts of consumerism and irresponsible development, and the subsequent environmental degradation these actions cause. He calls on all the people of the world to take "swift and unified global action" to protect the environment. A special year was dedicated to the encyclical in 2020, calling for a "special year of reflection". In addition to the souvenir sheet for Earth Day, the annual Vatican City post card set for 2020 called attention to the special year remembering Laudato si’. The souvenir sheet, shown at the top of this article, was created by artist Joyce Chiarella. The design aims to "represent everywhere the beauty and harmony of creation: in the forms, the sounds and colours of nature" She also embedded the words "Laudato si’" in the design of the sheet. REFERENCES: |
