The "April 22nd - Earth Day" Story

It was an ordinary day.  April 22 - Earth Day - 2018.  So what do you do for Earth Day?  Plant a tree?  Go around your neighborhood, picking up trash?  Take your recyclables to the curb for tomorrow's trash pickup?  Ride your bike instead of driving the car?  Are you doing something to help conserve energy or keep the earth clean?  Today we celebrate the 48th anniversary of Earth Day and the birth of the modern environmental movement.  So, how have we been doing the last 48 years?  Depends upon whom you ask, I guess.  Earth Day began in 1970, the same year that the Beatles recorded their last album "Let It Be", the Concorde made its first supersonic flight, the Chicago Seven were found guilty, Aswan High Dam was completed, the United States and England lowered the voting age to 18 and over 100,000 demonstrators arrived in Washington D.C. to protest the war in Vietnam.  Were you alive in 1970?  That was the year that people in the United States were pumping leaded gas through their multi-carbureted massive V8 cars, farmers put large amounts of fertilizer on their fields that found its way to rivers and streams when it rained, industries belched out smoke and sludge without any worries of consequences or bad press and air pollution was a sign of prosperity.  The word "Environment" was found more often in books or in spelling bees than on the evening news or national press.  Something had to be done!  But there were some who did take notice and did try to do something.  One person, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin, after seeing the results of a huge oil spill the year before in Santa Barbara, California, decided it was time to do something.  Following the lead of inspired student anti-war rallies, he realized that if he could infuse that same energy with an emerging public awareness of air and water pollution, it could bring environmental protection to the forefront of a national political agenda.  

The Senator announced an idea for a National teach-in on the envir- onment to the national press and media.  He recruited Republican Congress- man Denis Hayes to help him with the idea.  April 22 was selected as the date, since it fell between Spring Break and Final Exams at most educational institutions.  And, back in 1970, who wouldn't like a good chance to rally and demonstrate just about any good cause.  On that date in history, over 20 million Americans took to the streets and parks to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment.  People all over realized they were all fighting for the same fight and shared the same values; A Clean Earth.  By the end of 1970 the United States Environmental Protection Agency was begun with the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts.  

In 1990 Earth Day went Global with 200 million people in 141 countries bringing environ- mental issues to the world stage.  Recycling efforts began worldwide.  In 1995 President Bill Clinton awarded Senator Nelson the Presidential Medal of Freedom which is the highest honor given to civilians in the United States, for his role as the Earth Day Founder.  But, the job of a clean globe will never be finished.  Today the Earth Day Network has more than 17,000 partners and organizations in 174 countries.  More than a billion people will be involved in Earth Day this year making it "the largest secular civic event in the world."  Will you be part of it today, and if not, why?  It really is your civic duty you know!  And, it's mine as well!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.