Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day, fellow Earth dwellers.
If you're wondering about the origins of the day, like I was, check out the article I wrote:
http://www.ultimatecoupons.com/stores/earth_day/what_is_earth_day--and_why_should_i_care.html

What Is Earth Day--And Why Should I Care?
April 22, 2010 marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. And back in 1970, the year of the first Earth Day, we didn't even have an organized environmental movement in this country. So who should we thank for Earth Day and the subsequent push for more environmental conservation (which brought us the Clean Water Acts, the Clean Air Act, and many others)? You may be surprised to learn it wasn't a bunch of San Francisco hippies.

Senator Who?

The first Earth Day was the brainchild of Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson. In response to the lack of organized national support for environmental issues, he created this annual public event to bring awareness to ecological preservation and put pressure on Washington to implement an environmental agenda. Known as the "conservation governor," Nelson worked for years within the governmental system to interest his colleagues in environmental policy--with no success. So Nelson decided to take his idea directly to the nation. In a widely-publicized speech, he called citizens to action with his idea of an annual event focusing on the environment. His message fell on receptive ears; the late 60s saw a significant rise in concern for the environment and according to the EPA, the percentage of citizens who cited cleaning up air and water as one of their top three political priorities rose from 17% in 1965 to 53% in 1970.

The first Green Day (before the band)

Reflective of the times and the campus activism that was picking up momentum, Nelson proposed that the first Earth Day should consist of grass-roots efforts to bring attention to environmental issues. Drawing on the fact that teach-ins on the topic had already been planned at a few different universities, Nelson decided to unite these efforts and spearhead a special event to coordinate rising interest in the subject of ecological awareness. Long before the phrase "Think Globally, Act Locally" had become part of our lexicon, Gaylord Nelson was organizing local groups with a global focus on the human habitat. It is estimated that 20 million Americans turned out on April 22, 1970 to voice their concerns about what was going on in their communities and to spur the government to action. And that was just the beginning. These days Earth Day is celebrated with events worldwide, including everything from a demonstration on climate change in Washington, DC to local recycling events, lectures, and community garden kick-offs.

Color wars

Forty years after the first Earth Day, environmental issues are still at the forefront of political conversations as well as dinner table conversations. Although Earth Day began as just an American event, it has grown into a global one and Earth Day headquarters is planning to welcome over one billion people in 190 countries to 2010's celebration. However, over the years, there has been some dissent growing over the relevance of the event. The "bright green" movement, which focuses on sustainable development through new design, contends that Earth Day contributes to the marginalization of environmental issues and has outlived its use. The "bright greeners" say that recycling or buying organic just one day a year is not enough to create real change. On the other side of the spectrum, there are groups stating that the environment has too many advocates: according to the National Center for Public Policy and Research, non-profit foundations donate over $400 million dollars a year to environmental advocacy and research. Turns out the environment is just as big of a hot button issue as it was in 1970--and will most likely continue to be a source of much debate in the coming years.

For information about how you can participate in your community, visit: http://www.earthday.org/earthday2010



Sources: EarthDay.org, EPA.gov, NationalCenter.org