In 1962, author Rachel Carlson's Silent Spring was published. In it, she argues that the use of pesticides and insecticides was having an effect beyond their intended targets, creating an ongoing cyclical pattern of imbalance.
"What happens in nature is not allowed to happen in the modern, chemical-
drenched world, where spraying destroys not only the insects but also their principal
enemy, the birds. When later there is a resurgence of the insect population, as
almost always happens, the birds are not there to keep their numbers in check."
The book was translated into two dozen languages and sold a half-million copies worldwide, bringing mass attention to issues of the environment and general safety and well-being. The environment would garner more attention in an unfortunate manner in late January of 1969. A rupture at an underwater deep drilling site owned by Unocal Corporation resulted in over 3,000,000 gallons of crude oil spewing up from cracks in the Santa Barbara Channel before it was plugged up. At that time, it was the worst oil spill in American history. (Sadly, that distinction would be topped in years to come.)
This resulted in the U.S. Congress to pass The National Environmental Policy Act in 1969, which was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on January 1, 1970. The disaster also caught the attention of Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson and inspired him to create Earth Day.
Wisconsin Senator Nelson speaking in front of the Ecology Flag
He was able to tap into the atmosphere of protest prevalent in the
1960's by creating the concept of Earth Day as a day of protest to
heighten awareness of the pitfalls of ignoring negative impacts on the
environment. On April 22, 1970, Earth Day and the newly-begun
environmental movement garnered lots of attention.
New York Times newspaper front page article
The Gaylord Nelson Newsletter The New York Daily News front page
Politically, Earth Day resulted in the passing of important legislation -- The Clean Air Act (1970), The Clean Water Act (1972), and The Endangered Species Act (1973) -- as well as the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In 1990, in the twentieth anniversary year of the first Earth Day, one of the coordinators of the first Earth Day, environmentalist Denis Hayes, was asked to begin a new, wider movement. The result was a global Earth Day movement, reaching 141 countries worldwide, and the bringing about of the United Nations' Earth Day Summit, held in June of 1992, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
This year marks the forty-fifth anniversary of Earth Day, and the need for caring for the environment remains still and has exponentially increased. Whether you believe humanity is hugely affecting the warming environmental changes or these changes are mostly part and parcel of a planet's evolution, there is no doubting that humanity has contributed to a large extent to that phenomenon.
I'll leave you with some suggestions for getting involved. Happy Earth Day!
1970 United Auto Workers (UAW) convention
Life magazine article
Flier for an Environmental Teach-In and planning meeting
Page from an Earth Week events program book
Politically, Earth Day resulted in the passing of important legislation -- The Clean Air Act (1970), The Clean Water Act (1972), and The Endangered Species Act (1973) -- as well as the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In 1990, in the twentieth anniversary year of the first Earth Day, one of the coordinators of the first Earth Day, environmentalist Denis Hayes, was asked to begin a new, wider movement. The result was a global Earth Day movement, reaching 141 countries worldwide, and the bringing about of the United Nations' Earth Day Summit, held in June of 1992, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In a rather thought-provoking article published on TheGuardian.com today, scientists and economists are arguing in favor of leaving the vast majority of fossil fuel in the ground.
Earth Day 2000, the thirtieth anniversary, included a push for clean energy and awareness of global warming. The 141 countries reached ten years prior had now expanded to a whopping 184 countries, encompassing approximately 5,000 environmental groups with an outreach estimated to be roughly 200,000,000 persons.
For something with such a global outreach, it is easy for an individual to ask what he or she can do for, or in honor of, Earth Day. The Earth Day Network offers these suggestions:
- Volunteer
- Go to a festival
- Install solar panels on your roof
- Organize an event in your community
- Change a personal habit
- Help launch a community garden
- Communicate your priorities to your elected representatives
- Do something nice for the Earth
- Network with other concerned persons/groups
This year marks the forty-fifth anniversary of Earth Day, and the need for caring for the environment remains still and has exponentially increased. Whether you believe humanity is hugely affecting the warming environmental changes or these changes are mostly part and parcel of a planet's evolution, there is no doubting that humanity has contributed to a large extent to that phenomenon.
I'll leave you with some suggestions for getting involved. Happy Earth Day!
Terry
Looking for something creative to do, there are interactive environment-focused events that you can click to join. We organize Earth day celebration activities events with creative activities to remain connected to each other.
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