Grass Root Efforts Promote Earth Day

Esther
5 min readJul 2, 2021

What is Earth Day?

While you’ve got probably heard the words “Earth Day”, did you recognize there are two observations of Earth Day? The United Nations celebrates on the equinox; many countries celebrate Earth Day annually on April 22nd. Both events were birthed in 1969, with grassroots efforts, attention on environmental awareness, and celebration of Earth.
Events to resulting in Earth Day

Prior to 1970, conservatism was a thought held by a minority of individuals . The notion that natural resources would become devastated to the purpose of extinction didn’t enter our collective thought. Pollution, from our buildings, cars, and behavior, was a traditional industry by-product. the thought of being the world’s steward was lumped during a mindset of ‘a hippie thing’ and not understood by mainstream America. Two previous events tilted our environmental awareness: a book and an image .

In 1962, marine biologist Carson published Silent Spring. The book talked about the commonly used, toxic pesticides utilized in agriculture and lifestyle . The title mentioned the results of the devastating pesticides: a world without birds. Surprisingly, Silent Spring became successful . Americans cared, and that they wanted the facts.

In 1968, the planet saw the whole Earth for the primary time. Apollo astronauts photographed the earth on their flight home from the moon. the world looked beautiful with its swirls of blues and whites. The photo provided a startling awareness: people saw Earth as vulnerable and needing human care.

Earth Day is Born

In 1969, John McConnell promoted Earth Day as a worldwide celebration of Earth’s gifts. The equinox seemed fitting time because it was the mid-point of spring and autumn across the hemispheres. A peace activist, McConnell first presented his Earth Day idea to an audience at the UNESCO Conference on the Environment. He wanted Earth Day to be a worldwide holiday, where the planet celebrates Earth’s wonders and gifts.

On March 21, 1970, cities across the world celebrated Earth Day. McConnell created an Earth Day proclamation that called upon people to require action against crises of the planet , like famine, war, and poverty. The proclamation also stated that participants would celebrate a world Earth Day to make one community and embrace Earth’s gifts.

The proclamation was endorsed by well-known people and leaders round the world: astronaut Buzz Aldrin, anthropologist Mead , inventor-scientist Buckminister Fuller, Japanese environmental scientist, Y. Fukushima, American senators, U.N. President S.O. Adebo, and UN Secretary-General Thant.

In April of 1970, the planet celebrated another Earth Day event. The April 22nd event also began as how to spread awareness of environmental issues. American Senator and conservationist, Gaylord Nelson, had actively toured the U.S. within the mid 1960’s with an environmental awareness agenda.

Wanting the U.S. government to require a lively role in environmental concerns, Nelson presented the thought for a national conservationist tour to Kennedy , who supported the thought. While President Kennedy’s tour didn’t turn environmental issues into mainstream conversations, it had been a beginning in changing America’s role in environmental issues.

Nelson was inspired by college campuses’ widespread Vietnam protests, or teach-ins. He thought a nationwide conservationist teach-in would get more Americans involved in environmental issues.

Nelson presented his Earth Day idea to other officialdom and news organizations. He promoted Earth Day to senators, governors, mayors, and college campuses’ newspaper editors. In November 1969, he formally announced a nationwide, environmental teach-in, called Earth Day, would be held within the spring of 1970. because the event became headline news, the general public reacted enthusiastically.

Nelson first handled Earth Day PR from his senate office, but with the public’s overwhelming interest, the office moved into its own organization. founding father of Common Cause John Gardner helped with a short lived office, and college students helped field the office. Nelson appointed Dennis Hayes as coordinator of activities.

Approximately 20 million people celebrated the primary Earth Day. In America, participation was high in schools, which ten thousand grade schools and high schools, two thousand colleges participating. Amazing numbers, considering the event started as a grassroots movement.

Government Actions

The strength of the world Day movement was clear to legislatures. Following Earth Day’s success, the U.S. government passed laws that targeted cleaner living. In 1970, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was established. The Clean Air Act followed with attention on reducing pollution , with the Clean Water Act doing likewise for water clean-up in 1972. The U.S. also passed the species Act to guard animals from extinction.

Mainstream Americans talked about recycling and conservation. within the 1980’s, many of us recycled within their neighborhood recycling programs. People’s awareness of their ecological responsibility became a part of their lives and actions. Children learned the importance of taking care of their environment; they were taught to worry for the world and its animals. the long-lasting Smokey Bear (originated within the mid 1940’s) featured poster slogans, like “If not you, who?” and “Only you’ll prevent forest fires. We can’t.” Americans appeared to step-up to their roles as Earth trustees.

In the 1990’s, recycling programs reduced overall waste by one-fifth . With people and the government taking responsibility, companies followed suit. Manufacturers check out ways to scale back toxic by-products and appear environmentally responsible to their customers. Their marketing campaigns highlighted eco-friendly actions, like reducing environmental waste.

Resurgence

Even with progressive responsibility, people didn’t celebrate Earth Day as that they had within the beginning year. Celebrations were still held, but they weren’t as widely attended or announced. In 1990, the first Earth Day coordinator, Dennis Hayes, organized a worldwide Earth Day. For the thirtieth anniversary of Earth Day, Hayes planned for a worldwide celebration, with participation from countries around the world.

The event was observed by 200,000 people across the world . The movement continued with recognition that environmental issues impacted the planet and spurred the international community to figure as a unit and combat its shared problems. In 1992, leaders at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) recognized their joint responsibility and planned for future projects on sustainable living.

Earth Day Birthday

In 2009, visionary Simon Ford led a grassroots effort on the web. This global community focused on a renewed urgency about environmental issues. Their first major campaign focused on worldwide environmental crises, the responsibility of mankind to unravel them, and a project to unite participants across the planet. The event, Earth Day Birthday, formed, as a worldwide event to celebrate Mother Nature’s gifts.

Successful Earth Day events within the past came from grassroots efforts in spreading environmental awareness and informative earth day quiz. Earth Day Birthday joins online social networks with world actions. Earth Day event organizers and participants find one another online. Supporters are spreading the word on environmental issues and taking action in their own communities. Earth Day Birthday provides the 20th century, grassroots effort in reaching eco-friendly people and making an impression on the earth.

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