History Of Earth Day

"The history of Earth Day began with local conservation of forestland and waterways."

Conservation promotes responsible use and preservation of natural resources.

From the late 1800s to early 1960s, awareness of environmental issues had been expressed mostly in the form of conservation of land, water, and animals.

A few of the organizations formed in the early 1900s to promote conservation include the National Parks Association, the Audubon Society, and the Sierra Club, all of which are still active today.

Then during the social consciousness earthquakes of the 1960s such as civil rights and the antiwar movement, the modern environmental movement was born.

Propelled by public awareness of ecological harm from events in recent history ...

• the radiation exposure of Japanese fishermen to a hydrogen bomb test at Bikini Atoll in 1954
• Rachel Carson's 1962 book Silent Spring about pesticide contamination
• an oil spill off the California coastline in 1969
• the Cayahoga River in Ohio catches fire in 1969 due to chemical waste contamination

... grass-roots concern and anxiety about pollution of land, air, and water grew into hundreds of special-interest groups devoted to specific local and regional causes.

The first Earth Day, April 22, 1970, was a national day of environmental consciousness awakening. It was the brainchild of Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, to focus national attention on, and change public perception of, environmental issues.

Starting in 1969, Sen. Nelson worked to publicize the event. He successfully mobilized the existing engine of energy and passion which was propelling anti-Vietnam War activism on college campuses nationwide.

Senator Nelson contacted these student groups. They mobilized their members, who spread the word to young people across the nation. The enthusiasm which erupted among college students attracted the participation of celebrities, and of politicians at all levels.

Through Sen. Nelson's Environmental Teach-In, Inc and its loyal student organizers, network television, prominent newspapers, and wire services picked up the spirit and message of "protecting the environment."

Earth Day 1970 was observed by tens of millions of participants and celebrated in nearly every major city in America. The annual observance became momentum for the passage of environmental legislation, including:

• Clean Air Act
• Clean Water Act
• Endangered Species Act
• Toxic Substances Control Act
• Surface Mining Control & Reclamation Act
• creation of the Environmental Protection Agency

Plant a tree, clean a beach, participate in recycling, conserve water and electricity. These are things we can and enthusiastically do to contribute to the wholesomeness of our environment.

There have been huge, significant improvements in air and water quality and wilderness protection thanks to the passage and enforcement of important environmental legislation.

There is now a myriad of environmental advocacy organizations, more than ever before. They focus on diverse environmental issues: anti-nuclear, anti-pollution, habitat destruction, biodiversity, overpopulation, climate change, peak oil.

Sometimes their ecology-focused goals run counter to the wishes or well-being of humans in the equation. In many cases it has become a struggle: either ... or, with impassioned supporters on both sides.

Which is more important, animals or people? Native woodlands or human habitat? Wetlands or recreational development? Pristine arctic wilderness or energy independence? Survival of a farming community or protection of a species?

As competition for clean water, desirable land, and affordable energy grows, the struggles continue in the courts of our land and across the globe in the continuing history of Earth Day.

Happy Earth Day!

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