In March of 1971, I was arrested with 11 other young folks who tried to save the last stand of trees on the campus of Northern Illinois University. We were supported by many, including the Executive Editor of the Chicago Tribune who offered to pay for our legal fees. We were released on our own recognizance, the charges were dropped…….and the trees came down for a new biology building.
That April, I attended my first Earth Day event, one year after its inception.
Often, we forget, or have not been told, about the history of an event or day of celebration. If you were under the impression that Earth Day has always been recognized on April 22, here is a recap of how this global movement came about taken from www.earthday.org:
1962: Rachel Carson’s seminal book “Silent Spring” brought attention to the pollution, water contamination and environmental destruction that had been taking place over the past decades worldwide.
1970: In a rare political alignment, support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor community members, urban dwellers and farmers, business and labor leaders engaged in the very first Earth Day. It led to the creation of the US Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of other first-of-their-kind environmental laws, including the National Environmental Education Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the Clean Air Act. Two years later congress passed the Clean Water Act.
1980: Earth Day capped a decade of substantial US environmental legislation, including the Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, Superfund, Toxics Substances Control Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and the Clean Air Act, and the banning of DDT and of lead in gasoline. Earth Day continued to expand internationally during the 80’s, as did international policy initiatives.
1990: This time Earth Day went truly global, mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries and lifting environmental issues onto the world stage. Earth Day 1990 gave a huge boost to recycling efforts worldwide and helped pave the way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
2000: Over 5000 environmental groups worldwide, and hundreds of millions of people in a record 184 countries participated in global Earth Day events and consciousness-raising, thanks in great part to the internet.
2010: 20,000 partners and nearly 1 billion people around the world took action on climate change and other environmental issues through rallies, events, and pushing for environmental law reforms. Through the Global Day of Conversation, more than 200 elected officials in more than 39 countries took part in active dialogues with their constituents about their efforts to create sustainable green economies and reduce their carbon footprints.
2016: World leaders from 175 nations chose Earth Day 2016 to sign the most significant climate accord in the history of the climate & environmental movement. (PS Our own 3 term Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell was among the City Mayors who attended the Paris Climate Agreement).
2020: “Climate Action” was the theme for the 50th Earth Day anniversary. Over 1 billion people worldwide participated in Earth Day actions, and 100 million engaged in “Earth Day Live”, the largest online mass mobilization in history.
2024: EARTHDAY.org is targeting this year as “Planet vs. Plastics”. This organization is calling upon Earth Citizens to commit to a 60% reduction in the production for ALL plastics by 2040 for the sake of human and planetary health.
For over 50 years, Earth Day has been celebrated by billions of people globally. Yet, we are now faced with environmental challenges and catastrophes more than ever. NCEC urges all of our community members to take action now, in our own homes and lives, in our own ways, big and small, to help support the Earth that has supported us for countless thousands of years of our human existence.
Visit www.earthday.org, sign up for their E-news, find environmental Action Toolkits, and check out their map for regional Earth Day events.
Join the Newaygo County Environmental Coalition in activities and events that love, honor, and protect our Earth throughout the year: www.nc-ec.org.
Love our Earth – for to love Her is to protect Her.
Sally Wagoner,
Board Chair, NCEC
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