A Brief History of Earth Day

A Brief History of Earth Day
William C. Probus

“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”
– Native American Proverb

The 1960’s are often remembered as a time of great turmoil and awakening in the United States. The election of John F. Kennedy ushered in a decade of changes in global order, strife, new consciousness, learning, and exploration. Student anti-war demonstrations on college campuses highlighted a period of time in our country’s history in which many Americans stood up and fought for what they believed in. It was in this environment of simmering opinions and latent violence that Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin began what he described as “a big gamble” for both his political career and for the future of environmentalism. All around him, Senator Nelson saw the degradation of the environment and worried that there was nothing to keep these forces in check, no voice for the environmentally conscious to verbalize their discontent. His goal was to tap into the fervor of young Americans and redirect it towards growing environmental concerns.

Senator Nelson was one of the first of a new generation of environmentalists. His staff spent almost seven years putting together the first Earth Day. Early in the process, at Senator Nelson’s urging, President Kennedy went on a five-day, eleven-state conservation tour. After the President’s tour was over, Senator Nelson continued the discourse on the environment in twenty-five states. Still, just getting people talking about the environment was not enough for Nelson. He wanted action. Nelson wanted to use student “teach-ins,” a popular form of anti-war protest on college campuses nationwide, as a model for giving voice to public concern about the destruction of the environment.

It was announced that in the spring of 1970, there would be a grassroots demonstration across the country on behalf of the environment. The idea gained momentum quickly. The name “Earth Day” was suggested by a number of people, and fit naturally with the scope of the celebration.

April 22, 1970 marked the beginning of the modern environmental movement. Approximately 20 million Americans celebrated the Earth and nature on that day. Importantly, men and women who had been fighting against pollution and deforestation and in support of wildlife realized that they shared common goals with other activists and so the movement grew. Earth Day gained traction internationally as well. In 1990, Earth Day counted 200 million activists from 141 countries among its celebrants. Since the new millennium dawned, Earth Day has grown even more. In 2007, it is estimated that almost 1 billion people took part in the celebration. The focus has shifted toward fighting global warming and pushing for clean energy. Here at the EDGE, we’ll be doing our part to preserve the legacy of Senator Nelson’s dream. What will you be doing to celebrate Earth Day?

William can be reached at William@theedgeeducation.com

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