THE HISTORY OF EARTH DAY

Tomorrow, April 22 , will mark the 46^th anniversary of Earth Day. Although I’ve not participated in marches, I’ve been very engaged simply by recycling, reusing and being as frugal as possible to save our earth. The first recycling center that came to our county was over ten miles away, and I took everything recyclable there at least once a month. Nothing went into my trash that could be recycled. I’ve been a lover of trees, the environment and almost all critters that live on our Earth, skipping mosquitoes, deer flies, and house flies.

Much of the following information I got from (http://www.earthday.org) .

In 1962 Rachel Carson’s New York Times bestseller Silent Spring was published. It sold more than 500,000 copies in 24 countries, and began raising public awareness and concern for living organisms, the environment and links between pollution and public health. I remember reading it, and it resonated with me. Probably somewhere among my many, many books I still have a copy. At that time, mainstream America still remained oblivious to the problems our earth faced.

In the year 1970, during the height of counterculture in the United States, there was the death of Jimi Hendrix, the last Beatles album, and Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” War raged in Vietnam and students nationwide overwhelming opposed it.

Meanwhile, Americans were slurping leaded gas through massive V8 sedans. (I admit with four children, I drove a station wagon.) Industries belched out smoke and sludge with little fear of legal consequences or bad press. Air pollution was commonly accepted as the smell of prosperity. “Environment” was not a word often heard.

Then along came the environmental movement in 1970, and Earth Day created an emerging consciousness, channeling the energy of the anti-war protest movement and putting environmental concerns on the front page.

The idea for a national day to focus on environment came to Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, after witnessing the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. Inspired by the student anti-war movement, he figured if he could infuse that energy with an emerging public consciousness about air and water pollution, it would force environmental protection onto the national political agenda. Senator Nelson got the idea for a “national teach-in on the environment” to the national media; persuaded Pete McCloskey, a conservation-minded Republican Congressman, to serve as his co-chair; and recruited Denis Hayes from Harvard as national coordinator. Hayes built a national staff of 85 to promote events across the land. April 22, falling between spring break and final exams, was selected as the date.

On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values.

Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, city slickers and farmers, tycoons and labor leaders. By the end of year, the first Earth Day had led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. “It was a gamble,” Gaylord recalled, “but it worked.”

As 1990 approached, another big campaign started. This time, Earth Day went global, mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries and lifting environmental issues onto the world stage. Earth Day 1990 gave a huge boost to recycling efforts worldwide. In 1995 President Bill Clinton awarded Senator Nelson the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the highest honor given to civilians in the United States – for his role as Earth Day Founder.

On Earth Day 2000, because of the internet, activists celebrated it around the world. In Gabon, Africa, a drum chain traveled from village to village, and on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. hundreds of thousands of people gathered for a First Amendment Rally, and sent world leaders the loud and clear message that citizens around the world wanted quick and decisive action on global warming and clean energy.

On Earth Day 2010, 250,000 people showed up on the National Mall for a Climate Rally, launching the largest environmental service project – A Billion Acts of Green – introduced a global tree planting initiative that has since grown into The Canopy Project with 22,000 partners in 192 countries observing Earth Day.

Although you can't see them, bees are swarming on my pussy willow 

So what about today? There are still climate change deniers in spite of well documented facts by scientists. And then there are the well-funded-oil lobbyists, who fight any changes in the laws, and unfortunately, there are still people who aren’t interested. They don’t recycle, and they drive huge gas guzzlers. I realize some people need a pickup truck or a larger car because of the size of their family or their business, etc.  As for me, I’ve driven a small car for over thirty years. I not only recycle, but I wash my bottles and cans before taking them to recycling. Things I want to get rid of that can’t go to the recycling center like clothes, etc. go to Good Will or the Church Mouse. I compost all waste the chickens won’t eat, except for bones. I don’t want my dog getting a chicken bone. I feed the birds, I don’t use insecticides to kill insects, birds take care of most of them, and only spray weed killer on poison ivy that is too thick for me to pull with my hand in a bread bag, and I plant trees even though I already have trees. I also donate to different environmental organizations.

What do you do to help our Earth?

Do you believe in climate change?