Earth Day quiz questions: planet, climate and nature

Earth Day falls on 22nd April every year, and it's one of the biggest environmental events on the calendar. Whether you're putting together a pub quiz, a school trivia night, or just testing your own knowledge, these ten questions cover the history of Earth Day, climate science, and the natural world. They're pitched so that most people can have a decent crack at them without needing an environmental science degree.

The questions

1In what year was the first Earth Day celebrated?

Answer:1970(click to reveal)

The first one took place on 22nd April that year, when around 20 million Americans took part in rallies, teach-ins, and protests about environmental issues. It's now observed in more than 190 countries worldwide.

2Which US Senator is credited with founding Earth Day?

Answer:Gaylord Nelson(click to reveal)

He was a senator from Wisconsin who came up with the idea after witnessing the devastation of the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill. He modelled it on the anti-Vietnam War teach-ins happening on college campuses at the time. You can read more about his legacy on the US Senate's website.

3Roughly what percentage of Earth's water is fresh water: 3%, 25%, or 50%?

Answer:About 3%(click to reveal)

And most of that is locked up in glaciers and ice caps. Only around 0.3% of all fresh water sits in rivers, lakes, and swamps where we can easily access it. The other 97% of Earth's water is saltwater in the oceans. NASA has a good breakdown of where all the water actually is.

4What is the name of the enormous collection of marine debris floating in the North Pacific Ocean?

Answer:The Great Pacific Garbage Patch(click to reveal)

It covers an estimated 1.6 million square kilometres, roughly twice the size of Texas. It's not a solid island of rubbish, though. It's more like a soup of microplastics and larger debris spread through the water. The Ocean Cleanup project has been working to remove plastic from the area since 2018.

5Which greenhouse gas is most responsible for human-caused climate change?

Answer:Carbon dioxide (CO2)(click to reveal)

While methane and nitrous oxide are also significant greenhouse gases, CO2 accounts for the largest share of warming because of the sheer volume released by burning fossil fuels. It lingers in the atmosphere for hundreds of years, which makes the problem cumulative. NASA's climate pages track its concentration in real time.

6The ozone layer protects life on Earth by absorbing most of which type of radiation from the Sun?

Answer:Ultraviolet (UV) radiation(click to reveal)

The layer sits in the stratosphere and absorbs 97 to 99 percent of the Sun's medium-frequency UV light. Without it, rates of skin cancer, cataracts, and damage to crops would be far higher. The US EPA has a clear explanation of how it works.

7Rachel Carson's 1962 book is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement by exposing the devastating effects of pesticides on wildlife. What was it called?

Answer:Silent Spring(click to reveal)

The title refers to a future spring where no birds sing because pesticides have wiped them out. The book led directly to a nationwide ban on DDT in the United States and helped inspire the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. Carson faced fierce opposition from the chemical industry, which tried to discredit both her and her research, but her findings held up.

8In climate talks, what does "COP" stand for, as in COP26 or COP28?

Answer:Conference of the Parties(click to reveal)

It refers to the annual meetings held under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The first COP was held in Berlin in 1995, and the conferences have produced major agreements including the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. The UNFCCC website explains the structure in detail.

9Steel is the most recycled material in the world by total weight. But which common household metal can be recycled using only 5% of the energy needed to produce it from raw materials?

Answer:Aluminium(click to reveal)

That huge energy saving is why recycling aluminium cans is so worthwhile. Around 75% of all aluminium ever produced is still in use today because it can be melted down and reused over and over without losing quality. Brazil leads the world, recycling over 98% of its aluminium can production.

10The vaquita is considered the world's most endangered marine mammal. In which body of water is it found?

Answer:The Gulf of California (also accept the Sea of Cortez)(click to reveal)

Fewer than 10 of these small porpoises are believed to survive, making them critically endangered. Their population has crashed by over 99% since 2011, mainly because they get caught in illegal fishing nets. The IUCN Red List tracks the conservation status of thousands of species like the vaquita.

Ten questions should give you a solid environment or Earth Day round. They work well mixed into a general knowledge quiz too, especially around April when people are already thinking about the planet. If you want to build a full quiz around these, you can always add a picture round of endangered animals or famous national parks to keep things varied.