In an era of great environmental uncertainty, and at a pivotal point in time when nations will decide the earth’s fate, Earth Day comes as a welcome reminder of our role in the global environmental movement. Just over forty years ago, during a time of revolutionary environmental legislation in the United States, Earth Day was added to our nation’s calendar. External factors such Rachel Carson’s famous book, Silent Spring, or the massive Santa Barbara oil Spill of 1969 contributed to the national sentiment regarding environmental recognition and regulation, but the determination of one Wisconsin senator, in particular brought this now famous day to fruition.
The Origins of Earth Day—the Story of Senator Nelson
The first Earth Day was in 1970, however a great deal of effort was put forth by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin in the previous eight years to ensure the creation of this day of environmental consciousness. Despite obvious signs of degradation, a majority of United States citizens were ignoring or failing to recognize the height of environmental decline. So in 1962, the Wisconsin senator flew to Washington, DC and spoke to President John F. Kennedy about how the environment was a non-issue in the political world and suggested that the Commander in Chief take a “conservation tour” to promote awareness. The President agreed with Nelson and in November of 1963, JFK took a five-day, eleven-state tour to promote the environmental movement. Unfortunately, the tour was not successful. However, Nelson would not give up and, inspired by the many anti-Vietnam War protests, he decided in 1969 to push for a massive grassroots movement to spread awareness about environmental protection.
At a conference in Seattle in late 1969, Nelson announced the plan for a massive demonstration in the upcoming spring for citizens to voice their concerns about disappearing ecosystems. After overwhelming interest and profitable media coverage, the planned environmental demonstration became too much for Nelson to handle. On April 22, 1970, 20 million protestors marched to voice their concerns for habitats. The positive response prompted the government to keep the event on its national calendars as a day to commemorate the earth. After the first Earth Day, President Richard Nixon knew that the American people needed assurance the Federal Government would take these public demonstrations to heart. A few months later, Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Events Prompting Earth Day
Without a doubt, Rachel Carson’s book, Silent Spring, was an enormous influence on the beginning of Nelson’s quest. Carson, an aquatic biologist and zoology professor, knew as early as 1945 that the pesticide DDT as well as other harmful chemicals were incredibly toxic but the government was allowing them to be used in ecosystems and in agriculture regardless. Despite numerous personal threats, Silent Spring was published in 1962 and propelled society’s awareness about such issues to a new level. Carson is often credited as being the mother of the environmental movement.
Then, in 1964, Congress passed the Wilderness Act, legislation that conserved nearly 7 million acres of US wild lands to keep nature pristine.
Now the zinger…adjacent to the species-unique Channel Islands, Santa Barbara, California was the location of the now third largest oil spill in U.S. history. In 1969, oil rigs off its pristine coast lost 200,000 gallons of crude oil into the seawater, killing thousands of sea birds, dolphins, elephant seals, and sea lions. At the time, this was the largest oil spill the nation had witnessed, and the resulting outrage by citizens received a lot of media attention. As a result, significant environmental legislation that “forms the legal and regulatory framework for the modern environmental movement” passed in the next several years. Earth day clearly benefited from the growing environmental awareness, as well.
Earth Day’s Evolution
Some criticize Earth Day as no longer serving any purpose, and claiming it has become “a pessimistic, political ideology that [portrays] humans in a negative light.” ; I could not disagree more. Any day that expands environment awareness and promotes healthy sustainable lifestyles deserves a place on our national calendars. Earth Day 2010 was of particular significance since it marked the 40th anniversary and Congress was considering comprehensive climate change legislation at the time. In celebration, Washington D.C. had large events during the 24th and 25th of April. The EPA had exhibits on emerging technologies, effects of climate change, and backyard composting demonstrations. An enormous Climate Rally was held on the National Mall on the 25th and I was fortunate enough to attend. The Saturday rally had two goals: “to celebrate Earth Day’s 40th anniversary and to demand that Congress pass a climate and clean energy bill in 2010.” There were so many people and amazing performances it almost felt more like a music festival than a rally. Famous performers such as John Legend, Passion Pit, The Roots, and Sting amped up the crowd, and the image of tens of thousands gathering in front of the Capitol was a moving sight. Passionate words from speakers such as Representative Edward Markey and Avatar director James Cameron also drew the attention of over 150,000 attendees throughout the day.
Founded in 2007, Earth Hour is a like-minded event that occurs at one day each year at 8:30PM local time, and works its way around the globe as famous locations, such as the Eiffel Tower and Times Square, go dark for an entire hour. The event has grown in popularity since its inception in Sydney, Australia, and it now occurs in over 5,000 cities in 135 countries and territories. The most recent Earth Hour was March 26, 2011. Make sure to look out for Earth Hour 2012!
Earth Day 2011
This year, Earth Day is focused around the “Billion Acts of Green” campaign, in which millions of individuals, organizations, and corporations pledge to live and act sustainably. “The goal is to register one billion acts before the Earth Summit in Rio in 2012.” This year’s campaign focuses on bring the voices of professional athletes to the environmental movement, supporting global reforestation, greening America’s schools, engaging women leaders in the creation/development of a green economy, convening entrepreneurs to “solve climate change and create a new green economy,” and celebrating environmental artists through the support of the American Association of Museums. The campaign is considered the largest environmental service campaign in the world, and you can view which Earth Day events are occurring near you here. You can register your own event too, so everyone in you zip code sees it right away when they visit the site. For full coverage of Earth Day events, see the Earth Day official websites at www.earthday.org and http://www.epa.gov/earthday/. Be sure to get out and show your support for this day and the environment on April 22nd!
