On April 22, 1970, the United States celebrated its first Earth Day. For the last 56 years, this day has been an opportunity for us to appreciate the world we inhabit and reflect on the impact we have on our climate. So, what led up to this important moment of the environmental movement’s history, and how has this day grown into its well-recognized name?
The 1960s are well known for being the start of the green movement. This was a moment when many Americans learned about the presence and effects of pollution on the environment and their health, particularly with the release of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring in 1962 (a great Earth Day-themed read if you have some free time this week!) In the second half of the decade, two major disasters brought environmental degradation to the forefront of the public’s minds. In January of 1969, a major oil spill occurred off the coast of Santa Barbara, turning nearby beaches black and killing thousands of animals. Followed closely in the same year, Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River, a go-to chemical waste dumping site for industrial manufacturers, caught fire.
Before this time, many of today’s icons of ecological degradation were considered signs of industrial success: The blackened river was accepted as a reality of the city, proof of a thriving manufacturing industry. Flashy gas-guzzling cars showed prosperity and wealth, and no one batted an eyelash at tall smokestacks pumping pollution into our air.
However, after the wake-up calls presented by the 1960s, one Democratic senator saw a need for change. Gaylord Nelson wanted large-scale grassroots action that would get the issue of pollution onto federal agendas and involve and engage the whole nation. He was inspired by anti–Vietnam War teach-ins. Teach-ins were a type of demonstration found on college campuses around the United States that blended educational seminars with lectures, performances, and debates to educate and mobilize the public against the United States involvement in the Vietnam War. Nelson wanted to use this formula in response to environmental issues, “to shake up the political establishment and force this issue onto the national agenda.”
Nelson recruited a young activist, Denis Hayes, to organize the teach-ins, and scheduled it for April 22 as it was a weekday between spring break and final exams in order to maximize student participation. The response was immense: 20 million Americans (10% of the population!) got out and demonstrated against almost two centuries of industrial development that harmed the environment and human health. Protests, musical performances, countless calls and letters to congressmen and legislators demonstrated an inspiring show of community and unity across the nation.
According to the EPA, national polling showed a “permanent change in national priorities following earth day 1970.” May 1971 polls showed that 25 percent of the U.S. public found protecting the environment to be an important goal, which was a 2500 percent increase from 1969.
This 56th earth day, let’s remember the history that brought us to today and acknowledge that damage to the environment and risk to our health has increased exponentially at the hands of industry actors. We still have the same capacity to come together and advocate as we did in 1970: Call your legislators, write them letters, and talk to your community about changes you want to see in the world.
~ Lucy Baker `27
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