Happy Earth Day! Since its inception April 22, 1970, Earth Day has steadily become one of the most celebrated of environmental events, observed by an estimated one billion people. Here’s founder Earth Day Network‘s online bulletin board of people around the world working on environmental projects and a sustainable future. Click here to add your photo and message.
Earth Day was the brainchild of Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, who was deeply disturbed by the consequences of oil spills off the coast of Santa Barbara, California. The Earth Day Network coordinated events across the country and engaged more than 20 million citizens. The effort was bipartisan, and the results were important and necessary legislation to protect people and planet:
Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, city slickers and farmers, tycoons and labor leaders. The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. “It was a gamble,” Gaylord recalled, “but it worked.”
Check out a news report of the first Earth Day in 1970. Today, Earth Day engages one billion worldwide. Happy Earth Day!
