Remember the true meaning of Earth Day

This Monday the world celebrates Earth Day. A day where people are supposed to take a look at the environmental landscape and recommit to making a change for the better.

For many people, it’s somewhat of an empty holiday. They know it only because it’s the day for the yearly recycling drive at work or noticing a few more environmental stories in the local newspaper. Originally started in 1970, Earth Day is credited for creating the modern environmental movement and helped to usher in major laws such as Clean Air Act, Endangered Species Act and more.

The idea started as far back as the early 1960s and was the brainchild of U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson. He wanted a platform that could galvanize the government into thinking more about the environment. President Kennedy liked the idea, but it could never get off the ground.

Nelson needed a way to take the anti-war sentiment and energy on college campuses and direct it into an environmental cause. College students everywhere were looking for a cause and a grass roots demonstration in Washington was going to be the catalyst. Nelson announced that in the spring of 1970, he was going to organize the event and encouraged everyone to participate.

Soon, the news was sent across the country thanks to wire services such as the Associated Press and Reuters. This, coupled with the increased news coverage of environmental degradation, led to an astonishing 20 million demonstrators in Washington and countless schools and communities participating as well. This first Earth Day was a success.

Environmental activism has flourished thanks to Earth Day and its collaborators. In this time of economic strife, the environment has taken a backseat. The proliferation of fracking, oil pipelines and other issues shows that people more concerned about simply being able to pay the bills than saving the rain forest. I encourage everyone to take the time this coming Earth Day to reflect on how far we have come and pledge that we will not backslide to the times before the holiday.

 Photo courtesy of victorybeer.com.