Earth Day Was Born 43 Years Ago (Blog)

What Do You Really Know About It?

Each year, Earth Day – April 22 – marks the anniversary of what many consider the birth, in 1970, of the modern environmental movement. At the time, Americans were guzzling leaded gas through massive V8 sedans. Industry belched out smoke and sludge with little fear of legal consequences or bad press. The publication of Rachel Carson’s bestseller, "Silent Spring," set the stage for increased public awareness regarding the environment.

Earth Day 1970 capitalized on emerging consciousness. Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, was inspired by the student anti-war movement and realized 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 announced the idea for a “national teach-in on the environment” to the national media.

As a result, on the 22nd of April 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, urban dwellers and farmers. The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts.

Earth Day 1990 saw a group of environmental leaders organize another big campaign. 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 and helped pave the way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. It also prompted President Bill Clinton to award Senator Nelson the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1995) – the highest honor given to civilians in the United States – for his role as Earth Day founder.

For the New Millennium another campaign was launched, this time focusing on global warming with a push for clean energy. With 5,000 environmental groups in a record 184 countries reaching out to hundreds of millions of people, Earth Day 2000 used the Internet to organize. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Earth Day 2000 sent world leaders the loud and clear message that citizens around the world wanted quick and decisive action on clean energy.

Earth Day 2010 came at a time of great challenge for the environmental community. In spite of the challenge, for its 40th anniversary, the Earth Day Network re-established Earth Day as a powerful focal point around which people could demonstrate their commitment. Earth Day Network brought 225,000 people to the National Mall for a Climate Rally, and amassed 40 million environmental service actions toward its 2012 goal of A Billion Acts of Green®.

On Earth Day 2012, it was announced that the Billion Acts of Green® goal had been reached ahead of schedule with worldwide participation in tree plantings, water projects, river cleanups, recycling drives and other green activities.

We celebrate 43 years of Earth Days in 2013. Since Earth Day started, environmentalism has moved from a fringe issue to a mainstream concern, and as many as 80 percent of Americans now describe themselves as environmentalists.

Sources: news.nationalgeographic.com; earthday.org; earthdaycentral.com