Nation Set to Observe Earth Day

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"Nation Set to Observe Earth Day"

Newspaper article

By: Gladwin Hill

Date: April 21, 1970

Source: Hill, Gladwin. "Nation Set to Observe Earth Day." New York Times (April 21, 1970): pg. 36.

About the Author: Gladwin Hill wrote for the New York Times for forty-four years and was bureau chief of the Los Angeles office for twenty-three years. He also wrote Dancing Bear: An Inside Look at California Politics and Madman in a Lifeboat: Issues of the Environmental Crisis.

INTRODUCTION

The first Earth Day was initiated by Democratic Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin. His interest in the environment began in 1962, when he observed evidence of environmental degradation around him. He found that his constituents were concerned with environmental problems and yet the issues were not included in the public or political dialogue. At Nelson's urging, President Kennedy went on a five-day "conservation tour" through eleven states in September of 1963 to raise concern about issues related to environmental well-being. Nonetheless, lawmakers were hesitant to give the ideas much notice.

Over the next six years, Nelson's concern with the environment evolved into the idea for Earth Day. After observing the grassroots momentum generated by "teach-ins" protesting against the United States' involvement in the Vietnam Conflict, Nelson proposed a similar demonstration in support of a healthy, sustainable environment. He announced his idea at a conference in Seattle in September of 1969.

Efforts to organize Earth Day were initially headquartered out of Nelson's Senate office, however, the public response to the event was massive and quickly overwhelmed the staff. Eventually, Nelson enlisted a young graduate of Stanford University, Denis Hayes, as coordinator of the first Earth Day. Much of the organizational work involved grassroots initiatives by volunteers such as writing letters to schools and universities and contacting local community groups informing them about the event.

The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970. Approximately 20 million people from thousands of schools and communities joined in the events. Demonstrators marched in parades and organized rallies to show their support for a clean, healthy environment. Other events included nature walks, workshops, lectures and school assemblies focusing on environmental issues.

PRIMARY SOURCE

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SIGNIFICANCE

One of the major impacts of the first Earth Day was that it brought together diverse groups of people who all shared an interest in the environment. This collaboration of people from across the social spectrum eventually formed the basis for the environmental movement, which was highly visible during the last quarter of the twentieth century.

The second major accomplishment of Earth Day was that it demonstrated that the public wanted government to address environmental issues. In the wake of the first Earth Day, President Nixon established United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The U.S. EPA is the government agency mandated with protecting the environment and public health. Congress also passed three key acts in response to the Earth Day movement: the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act. These three acts served as the administrative foundation of the environmental movement for more than three decades.

In 1990, Earth Day coordinators, with the leadership of Denis Hayes, expanded the events to include 200 million people in 141 countries. The visibility of Earth Day issues on the global level was an important signal to the organizers of the Earth Summit in Rio de Janiero in 1992.

In 1995, President Bill Clinton awarded Gaylord Nelson with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of his efforts to inform the government and the American public about environmental issues.

The overriding theme of the 2000 Earth Day was the development and use of clean energy in response to global warming. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio was chosen as the spokesperson for the event. Participants in 184 countries were involved and at least 5,000 different environmental groups planned activities. In Gabon, Africa members of different villages formed a drum chain to signal their support of a sustainable environment. Other supporters gathered on the Mall in Washington D.C. demonstrating for clean, renewable forms of energy.

In the decades since the first Earth Day, the environment received much attention and discussion, both publicly and politically. A variety of changes greatly improved the quality of the environment. For example, the air quality is much higher throughout most of the United States. The loss of wetlands habitat has been greatly slowed and some wetland restoration has occurred. Several species, including the bald eagle, were taken off the endangered species list. Americans began to recycle products rather then simply throw them away. Hybrid cars, which are much more fuel-efficient and have cleaner exhaust, started being produced by large car manufacturers.

Although less widely recognized, a grassroots coalition based in northern California headed by John McConnell celebrates an alternative Earth Day on the spring solstice. The group successfully lobbied the United Nations to support Earth Day. In 1970, U Thant, Secretary General of the United Nations, signed a proclamation to observe Earth Day on March 21 each year.