The Earth Is What We All Have In Common

Every year, on April 22, people around the world celebrate Earth Day. The very first Earth Day was celebrated in the United States on April 22, 1970. In 1990, Earth Day became a global event, mobilizing 200 million people to encourage environmental protection and get more serious about recycling.

Here are some fun facts about Earth Day:

Senator Gaylord Nelson, a junior senator from Wisconsin, had long been concerned about the deteriorating environment in the United States.  Then in January 1969, he and many others witnessed the ravages of a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara. Senator Nelson announced the idea for a teach-in on college campuses to the national media, and Denis Hayes, a young activist was recruited to organize the campus teach-ins and they choose April 22, a weekday falling between Spring Break and Final Exams, to maximize the greatest student participation.

Groups that had been fighting individually against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness and the extinction of wildlife united on Earth Day around these shared common values. Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from opposite political parties, rich and poor, urban dwellers and farmers, business and labor leaders. By the end of 1970, the first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

The impact of the very first Earth Day was huge. It led to the creation of some of our most important environmental laws being passed. The Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and more have been passed because of Earth Day’s impact! Now, Earth Day is all about educating people about conservation, protesting against climate change and global warming and encouraging volunteering for the good of the planet.

To see a schedule of events for Earth Day in the Santa Barbara area, go to SBearthday.org