The founding of Earth Day in 1970 is the first major event in the modern environmental movement. It has come to represent environmental enthusiasm that developed as a result of the contaminating side effects of modern industry. On every April 22nd since 1970, millions of people use their schools, communities, local media outlets, and in more recent years the Internet, to spread the word on environmental issues and to show their dedication to preserving the earth and its resources.
Whether the act is planting a tree, picking up garbage, buying fluorescent light bulbs, or campaigning for environmental legislation, every act made to conserve the environment is an important part what Earth Day represents– preserving the earth. 2010 brings with it the 40th anniversary of Earth Day along with the ever-growing momentum of the green movement.
In order to fully appreciate Earth Day, it is important to understand the process that led to its foundation, as those issues are still prevalent today. The father of Earth Day is a Wisconsinite named Gaylord Nelson who, rather fittingly, was born in Clear Lake, Wisconsin in 1916. He attended the University of Wisconsin Law School and began his political career shortly after the end of World War II. He established himself as a “champion of the environment” during his two terms as Wisconsin’s governor. During his terms in office, Nelson acquired millions of acres in Wisconsin parkland through the Wisconsin Outdoor Recreation Program.
Gaylord Nelson
This program, along with other environmental legislation he signed into law as Governor (1959-62), served as the foundations of the major platform he would run for the U.S. Senate with. Nelson was elected to the Senate in 1962 and would represent the State of Wisconsin in Washington, D.C. for the next 18 years. He spearheaded crucial legislation such as The Wilderness Act, The Environmental Protection Act, The Clean Air Act, and The Clean Water Act.
While Senator Nelson was proud of what he had accomplished in the name of the environment, he felt like it wasn’t enough. However, he knew that in order to make any major impact, he couldn’t do it by himself. Luckily for him, the 1960’s nurtured a progressive generation of young adults, fueled by war protests, equal rights marches, and Beatles music, that were hungry for change. Inspired by the teach-ins and marches of these students and activists, Nelson organized a nationwide event dedicated to raising environmental awareness. In an interview done with The Wilderness Society just before his death in 2005, Nelson recalled thinking, “Why not organize a huge grassroots demonstration — a teach-in — that would focus on what was happening to our environment?”
Nelson’s dream of bringing the fight for the environment to the national stage came true on April 22nd, 1970 when an estimated 20 million Americans took part in teach-ins, lectures, and marches to increase environmental awareness. The momentous impact this day had not only on environmental, but world history as a whole, led American Heritage Magazine to dub the first Earth Day as, “one of the most remarkable happenings in the history of democracy.”
Senator Nelson’s environmental accomplishments resulted in the birth of the “go green” movement and worldwide recognition of the importance of persevering the earth and its precious resources. While Earth Day is indeed the most significant environmental accomplishment of 20th century and represents the importance of conservation, it is important to try to make everyday, and not just April 22nd, Earth Day.
