Written by Carol Newton
With so many exciting activities happening on campus as we approach the end of the year, Earth Day may be the last event in everyone’s mind. However, this Friday marks the 46th anniversary of Earth Day and a monumental shift across the world, for it signifies a tangible beginning of the modern environmental movement.
The first real rise in public awareness regarding the connection between pollution and public health came in 1962 with the release of Rachel Carson’s New York Times bestseller “Silent Spring.” Then in 1970, U.S. Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson saw an opportunity to combine the passion behind the students’ anti-war movement and environmental concerns, and began making significant national environmental progress. Sen. Nelson successfully implemented the idea of a “national teach-in on the environment.” He persuaded Republican Congressman Pete McCloskey to serve as his co-chair, and recruited Harvard student Denis Hayes to serve as national coordinator. Hayes built a group of 85 national staff to promote events. Since Hayes had school responsibilities, they chose April 22 as the environmental awareness day due to the fact that it fell between spring break and final exams.
On April 22, 1970, amidst the chaos of the Vietnam War, 20 million Americans across the coast congregated to demonstrate their commitment to environmental protection The amazing thing was that Earth Day did more than fight for environmental causes: it united people in the midst of a tumultuous time. Colleges, universities, and environmental groups found common ground, and Earth Day brought about rare political alignment as well. It united Republicans, Democrats, and people from different social classes. The first Earth Day helped to catalyze a movement that resulted in the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, which later passed monumental legislation such as the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and Endangered Species Act.
In 1990, Denis Hayes organized another campaign that made Earth Day a global event. 200 million people in 141 countries participated. Additionally, 1990’s Earth Day reinvigorated recycling efforts and paved the way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
Subsequent Earth Days have only received more support and organizers have become more specific in their efforts towards environmental advocacy. Earth Day 2000 focused on global warming and clean energy with support from 5,000 environmental groups in 184 countries, while Earth Day 2010 brought the support of 22,000 partners in more than 192 countries. Today, it is celebrated by more than 1 billion people every year, and is known as a day that provokes policy changes and binds environmentalists and advocacy groups.
In terms of our own environmental efforts on campus, CC Students for Environmental Action (EnAct) has recently made significant progress to become connected with larger organizations. About a month ago, EnAct partnered with a national organization called Defend Our Future, which is part of the Environmental Defense Fund. This group is specifically interested in encouraging students to partake in small actions to combat climate change, such as walking on campus and using reusable water bottles. They are also in contact with a group of skiers and snowboarders interested in learning about how climate change is affecting their sport.
EnAct extended the concept of Earth Day to Earth Week, with the idea that protecting the environment should be celebrated for more than just a day. Earth Week began with a kickoff event in Worner on Monday, with stickers designed by previous co-chair Laurel Sebastian and information about Earth Week events. Monday evening featured an inspiring movie called “This Changes Everything,” which presented stories from all over the world about the idea that humans can transform climate change while also improving the economy. On Wednesday, working to spread an appreciation for nature, Delaney Tight and Emily Cain led a snowshoeing trip to 7 Bridges. Thursday featured the Linnemann Lecture of the year, “The Sixth Extinction,” given by journalist and author Elizabeth Kolbert. And in honor of both Arbor Day and Earth Day, EnAct is planting trees native to Colorado this Friday, April 22 in the Spencer parking lot. This is part of a larger effort to help CC become part of an organization called “Tree Campus USA.”
There are still opportunities to get involved in the final days of Earth Week! The first is Monument Creek Cleanup (with a catered brunch) on Saturday from 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. A bike ride is also in the works for Sunday, weather permitting. Get involved and support EnAct, the environment, and a greater global movement. As the movie on Monday emphasized, we cannot combat the detrimental changes affecting our world without a combined effort.
If you are interested in getting further involved in environmental issues, think about attending a meeting for EnAct—new members are always welcome!