Celebrating Earth Day 2026

By David E. Shaw

The Earth Day movement was launched  in 1970 to recognize that caring for the planet is a shared human responsibility.  Earth Day has since become the world’s largest secular observance, mobilizing more than a billion people in a wide range of initiatives to benefit the planet.  An important hub for these activities is the EARTHDAY.ORG website.

My support for Earth Day includes important conservation projects as well as the annual creation of a short celebratory film, discussed below. 

For the 2026 celebration of Earth Day, I also composed an anthem, based on the belief that this is highly important occasion has long been deserving of musical celebration.  While I have little experience as a song writer, I took it upon myself to create this anthem and I’m honored that my Earth Day music video can be watched on the website of the organization that is the main hub for global  Earth Day activities, www.earthday.org .  My music video can be found on their YouTube channel. 

This year’s Earth Day film is a celebration of the spirit that created the Earth Day movement.  It invites us to see our home as a living, dynamic planet, rich with oceans teeming with life, forests that create the oxygen we breathe, landscapes shaped over millennia, and cultures that reflect the beauty of human diversity.  It is a reminder that we are not separate from nature – we are part of it. Fellow travelers. Crew members aboard what Buckminster Fuller once called Spaceship Earth.   Click HERE to watch my 2026 Earth Day film.

My newly created Earth Day anthem, called Earth Day Celebration, can be viewed HERE.

In my recent book, Wave Making: Inspired by Impact, I reflect on the importance of high-impact “wave makers” – individuals and organizations willing to step forward, take responsibility, and help shape a better future. The Earth Day movement is a powerful example of wave making at scale.