This year, you can celebrate Earth Day in the company of giant panda cubs.
On April 22, 1970, an estimated 20 million Americans rallied for a cleaner environment. According to the Earth Day Network, "The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts."
To commemorate the 42-year-old event, Explore.org, the multimedia organization of the Annenberg Foundation, is featuring a new live HD feed of panda cubs at the Bifengxia Panda Reserve in China.
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“There is something magical and inspiring about watching panda cubs interact with each other in real-time," said Charlie Annenberg, the founder of Explore.org, in press materials. "The hope is that by viewing these cams, people will develop deeper emotional connections not just to the bears, but also to the planet."
The four panda bear cubs, who are named Zhichun, (“Spring”), Qingshan (“Green Mountain”), Zhaoyang (“Morning Sun”) and Ao'Ao (“Pride”), are all under two years of age. The feed will be live between 7 p.m. and 3 a.m. EST; at other times, previously recorded highlights of the pandas' activity will be featured.
Explore.org's other live cameras include, among others, feeds of polar bears, jellyfish, whales, the aurora borealis and the Santa Monica beach.
The giant panda, or Ailuropoda melanoleuca, is listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. There are an estimated fewer than 2,500 mature giant pandas remaining in the wild, according to the IUCN.
Earth Day, which is celebrated on April 22, began in 1970.
For more on Earth Day 2012, visit The Huffington Post's Earth Day page.
Olga Bonfiglio: Celebrating Earth Day Through Eco-Spirituality
Danielle Crittenden: Sunday Roundup: Life Is in the Earth
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Posted: 04/21/12 06:46 PM ET | Updated: 04/23/12 10:22 AM ET