The first Earth Day in 1970 mobilized millions of Americans to protect the planet. On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans, or 10% of the US population at that time took to the streets, college campuses, and hundreds of cities to protest environmental ignorance and demand a new way forward for the planet. The First Earth Day essentially launched the modern environmental movement.
But how did it start?
On January 28, 1969, a well, drilled by Union Oil off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, blew out. More than three million gallons of oil spewed, killing over 10,000 seabirds, dolphins, seals, and sea lions. As a reaction to the disaster, activists were mobilized to create environmental regulation and environmental education.
At a United Nations Conference in San Francisco that same year, peace activist John McConnell proposed a day to honor the Earth and the concept of peace, to first be celebrated on March 21, 1970, the first day of spring. A month later, Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, from Wisconsin, inspired by the student protests, and having seen the soil spill in California from an airplane, created April 22 as Earth Day because he believed that day would maximize the number of students that could be reached on university campuses.
Today, Earth Day is an annual event celebrated around the world on April 22, and through the Earth Day Network 193 countries collaborate globally.
Here, in the Quad Cities, River Action asks you to join us in a Sylvan Island and surrounding trails cleanup on Earth Day April 22, 9—12 noon. Meet us at the Sylvan Island parking lot to get bags and gloves.
There are many ways to celebrate Earth Day; I will suggest that the best way is to make every day Earth Day!