The Origins of Earth Day
On April 22nd, millions of people around the world will come together for the 52nd Earth Day celebration. This year’s theme is "Invest In Our Planet". It aims to persuade governments, businesses and individuals to make sustainability the foundation of the economy.
Today, the Earth Day celebration is the largest secular gathering on our planet. But where did Earth Day come from? When was the first Earth Day? And how has it changed over the years?
In this article, we’ll delve into the history of this special event.
Origins of Earth Day
The first Earth Day was on April 22nd, 1970. However, the foundations for a climate change movement were laid in the years leading up to it. Several factors contributed to growing public concern about environmental issues caused by 150 years of American industrialization.
Firstly, Rachel Carson’s seminal 1962 book, Silent Spring, sold half a million copies. It revealed the impact of pollution on the environment and public health.
While awareness grew amongst the educated middle-classes, the US government remained largely ignorant. Environmental issues were barely mentioned during the 1968 presidential campaign (won by Nixon).
However, there was one US Senator who had been quietly trying to bring environmental justice onto the political stage for some time. That man was Senator Gaylord Nelson, of Wisconsin.
Then, in January 1969, an environmental disaster struck. The Santa Barbara Oil Spill smothered 35 miles of Californian coastline in thick, black oil. Americans watched in horror as the oil-coated corpses of dolphins washed up on the blackened beaches and stranded birds struggled to move, pinned down by their oil-soaked feathers.
Seizing on the American public’s anguish, Nelson mobilized for action. He’d witnessed the fervor amongst students for campus ‘teach-ins’ (a combination of lecture and debate) about the Vietnam War. He pursued a similar line with his environmental campaign.
Nelson initiated a ‘National teach-in’ for April 22nd, 1970 and Hayes assigned it the name ‘Earth Day’. 20 million Americans joined the demonstrations for environmental justice that day. Its reach and impact grows every year.
Impact of Earth Day
Politicians heard the message loud and clear. By the end of 1970, the US government had taken several steps to address environmental issues.
The Environmental Protection Agency was established. It was responsible for reducing pollution and minimizing the impact of industry on the environment.
Also, Earth Day galvanized the government to pass many laws to protect the health of the nation and the environment. This included the Clean Air Act, the first of many steps taken by the government to tackle air pollution. The Clean Water Act followed a couple of years later. Also, the Endangered Species Act strengthened laws protecting habitats and promoting essential biodiversity. Together, these laws have prolonged the lives of millions of Americans, as well as driven the US towards sustainability.
Over the next decade or so, Earth Day celebrations never quite matched the fever pitch of the 1970 phenomenon. But they didn’t need to. Care for the environment was now firmly rooted in the minds of American people and policymakers. Government and industry alike were never allowed to forget their responsibility to look after our planet.
Going Global
The next great leap came in 1990, when Denis Hayes presided over a historic Earth Day that truly lived up to its name. This time, influential environmental activists all around the world coordinated events in 141 countries.
Like Earth Day 1970, the seeds for an environmental campaign were sown in the preceding years.
Once again, a catastrophic oil spill foreshadowed the event. This time the Exxon Valdez oil tanker devastated Alaska’s coastal landscapes and wildlife. Environmental issues also featured heavily in the 1988 presidential election. There was growing concern over the vast amount of waste clogging up landfill sites.
The 1990 Earth Day kickstarted worldwide recycling efforts and opened the door for the United Nations Earth Summit, held in Rio in 1992. This conference of world leaders helped to initiate strategies to promote global sustainability.
Earth Day Online
The dawn of a new millennium was enough to convince Denis Hayes to coordinate another worldwide campaign. The Earth Day of 2000 was the first to harness the power of the internet to organize events around the world.
This enabled the message to reach every corner of the planet. Hundreds of millions of people in 193 different countries engaged in environmental activism.
The 2000 event was the start of a new era for Earth Day in terms of how it was organized. Advances in technology meant that the internet played an increasingly significant role in connecting and engaging people in activism.
After the 2010 Earth Day, Earth Day Network (the organisation behind Earth Day), became EARTHDAY.ORG. They continued to use the ever-expanding network of the digital world to connect even more people. The website now serves as a global hub, educating and mobilizing millions of people to take environmental action.
It does this through initiatives such as ‘Billion Acts of Green’. This campaign encouraged individuals and groups to commit to environmental pledges such as planting trees, switching to renewable energy and recycling.
Never was the phenomenal power of the internet demonstrated more clearly than in the lead-up to Earth Day 2020. The Covid pandemic prevented any physical demonstrations. Instead, EARTHDAY.ORG dominated the online landscape with 24-hours of teach-ins, activism and performances.
What’s Next for Earth Day?
Sadly, despite half a century of campaigning on environmental environmental issues, our planet remains in peril. For every step of hard-fought progress, several new challenges emerge.
Fossil fuel companies continue to lobby governments, ensuring our continued reliance on oil. The dangerous lies of climate change deniers spread like wildfire. Throwaway culture and the rise of fast fashion creates a crisis of plastic pollution.
Earth Day and the fight for environmental justice is more important than ever. There’s never been a better time to move towards green living.
How to Celebrate Earth Day
A great place to start would be to educate yourself about some of the environmental issues affecting our planet. Then, you can make an informed decision about how you can contribute. You can find loads of useful information on our ‘Going Green’ pages.
After that, why not test your knowledge with some of Infoplease’s environment quizzes?
And don’t forget to spread the word with your friends and family. The more people engaged in the fight for our Earth, the better.
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