When I was a kid, the only place I remember hearing about Earth Day was in an elementary school classroom or maybe PBS. Now it's everywhere. My cereal box not only celebrates Earth Day, but declares April "Earth Month." Nationwide retailers are selling t-shirts made from recycled soda bottles sporting phrases like "Make Peace with Nature" and "Word to Your Mama (Earth)." It's everywhere... and come to think of it- I don't even know where Earth Day came from. So to begin our Earth Day festivities, I thought we could take a look at the history of Earth Day.
The first Earth Day was observed in 1970. It was founded by Gaylord Nelson, a senator from Wisconsin, as a nationwide environmental protest "To shake up the political establishment and force this issue onto the national agenda." For 10 years, Senator Nelson had made several failed attempts to bring the environment into the limelight. During a conservation and speaking tour on the west coast, inspiration struck.
At the
time, anti-Vietnam War demonstrations, called "teach-ins," had spread
to college campuses all across the nation. Suddenly, the idea occurred
to me - why not organize a huge grassroots protest over what was
happening to our environment? I was satisfied that if we could tap into the
environmental concerns of the general public and infuse the student
anti-war energy into the environmental cause, we could generate a
demonstration that would force this issue onto the political agenda. It
was a big gamble, but worth a try.
On April 22, 1970, an estimated 20 million Americans took to the streets, urging their political leaders to stand up and take notice of the effect the American lifestyle was having on the planet. However, the first Earth Day demonstrations had a surprising side effect... groups protesting everything from pesticides to polluting industries suddenly realized that they shared similar beliefs and agendas. Earth Day, 1970, united Republicans and Democrats, farmers and financial analysts, rich and poor. Senator Nelson, along with help from the National Coordinator Denis Hayes, was able to accomplish what has been called "One of the most remarkable happenings in the history of democracy." Thus, the modern environmental movement was born.
Twenty years later, another environmental campaign swept through Washington, D.C. Coordinator Hayes was able to pull another magic rabbit out of his hat. In 1990, Earth Day went global, uniting 200 million people in 141 countries, paving the way for 1992's United Nation's Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Again, in 2000, using the internet and the grassroots activism that Earth Day inspires, Hayes organized a worldwide push for quick and decisive action on clean energy. What does the future for Earth Day bring? Well I've heard there's big plans for Earth Day's 40th birthday in 2010! You can read more about it at Earth Day Network.
How are you going to celebrate today?
As a mom, my focus today will be on communicating the importance of environmentalism to my kids and celebrating the beauties our planet holds. My hope is that by instilling a love of nature in my sons, they will grow into men that protect the Earth rather than destroy it. Today, we plan on spending plenty of time outside... maybe pack a picnic (with no plastic baggies to blow away in the wind, of course). We'll brainstorm ways to reduce our footprint and pick up some trash by the river. We'll take a hike and maybe even find some rocks to climb on. We'll celebrate our planet and count our blessings. Other suggestions: plant a tree, plant a garden, get involved, evaluate your lifestyle and footprint, walk to the store, go meatless, buy that set of reusable grocery bags you've been eyeing and actually use them, host an impromptu block party and discuss ways you and your neighbors can "go green," carpool, ride your bike, conserve water, start recycling... the possibilities are endless.
