Earth Day April 22, 2008.ppt

Earth Day April 22, 2008 Why Earth Day, April 22, 1970? Tapped into an undercurrent of growing public concern about the environmental damage that had accompanied a generation of extraordinary prosperity. It was a time when people could see, smell and taste pollution 1962 – Silent Spring by Rachel Carson described the long-term effects of highly toxic pesticides 1968 – Apollo astronauts photographed the planet Earth 1969 – Industrial runoff in the Cuyahoga River caught fire 1969 – Horrific oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara, CA 1969 – Congress passed the National Environmental Policy Act, declaring a “national policy which will encourage productive and enjoyable harmony between man and the environment.” Concurrent with the slow building of environmental awareness was the increasingly vocal opposition to the US involvement in the war in Vietnam. Public demonstrations (particularly on college campuses) could in fact change public policy and behavior. April 22 was chosen because it was before the summer recess for grade and high schools and it avoided exam time on college campuses. US Senator Gaylord Nelson Nelson recognized that the methods developed for use in the anti-war protest could be a success in other areas as well. “Why not have a nationwide teach-in on the environment?” The idea of Earth Day: nationwide demonstration of concern for the environment shake up the political establishment force environmental issues onto the political agenda It idea worked, thanks to millions of concerned Americans spontaneous responded at the grassroots level The event served as a wake-up call to the political establishment. The environment became a national political priority. April 22, 1970, Earth Day was held, one of the most remarkable happenings in the history of democracy. . . 20 million people demonstrated their support. . . American politics and public policy would never be the same again. American Heritage Oct