Earth Day was the brainchild of Senator Gaylord Nelson. In 1962 he approached Attorney General Robert Kennedy with the idea that President John F. Kennedy could make the environment a visible issue by going on a conservation tour around the USA. Both Kennedy brothers liked the idea, and the President went on a conservation tour in September 1963. However, the tour failed to place the environment on the political agenda, and it was another 7 years before the first Earth Day was born.
Senator Gaylord Nelson continued to tour and make speeches about conservation without generating enough interest until 1969, when he got the idea to organize a huge grass-roots protest over what was happening to the environment. He announced the demonstration at a speech in September 1969, and the idea took off.
The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970.
In Senator Gaylord Nelson's own words: “Earth Day worked because of the spontaneous response at the grassroots level. We had neither the time nor resources to organize 20 million demonstrators and the thousands of schools and local communities that participated. That was the remarkable thing about Earth Day. It organized itself. “
Although still predominantly a US based celebration, Earth Day has become an internationally recognized annual event, and activities are being planned all over the world.
WWF has a webpage for people to list their ideas of what they can do to make a change.
The Earth Day Network has information about Earth Day 2008, with events in the US and around the world, as well as the Green Apple Festivals being held in US cities. In their Mission Statement the EDN list five main goals: Promote Civic Engagement; Broaden the Meaning of “Environment”; Mobilize Communities; Groundbreaking Environmental Education Programs; Support Earth Day Events and Actions Around the World.
Even if there isn't an Earth Day Event nearby, each and every one of us can decide to make a small lifestyle change to benefit the environment. It doesn't need to be a big change, and it doesn't even have to be inconvenient. It can be as simple as not running the water while you're brushing your teeth, taking time to turn off electrical equipment when not in use, or putting in low energy light bulbs. Every tiny change, multiplied by the millions of people living on our planet, has the potential to make a huge difference.
Why not be a part of it? You have nothing to lose.
