todayinhistory:April 22nd 1970: First Earth Day On this day in 1970, the first Earth Day was celeb
todayinhistory: April 22nd 1970: First Earth Day On this day in 1970, the first Earth Day was celebrated, marking what many consider the beginning of the modern environmental movement. The environmental movement capitalised on increased activist fervour which gripped the United States during the Vietnam War. Attention had increasingly been turned to the problems plaguing the natural landscape, especially after Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring in 1962. The idea for Earth Day came from Senator Gaylord Nelson (D - WI) after an oil spill in Santa Barbara, CA. Nelson teamed with activist Denis Hayes, who led the national promotion of the day. Earth Day proved a popular idea, garnering support from Republicans and Democrats and people from all walks of life; it also encouraged the Nixon administration to create the Environmental Protection Agency and led Congress to pass several environmental measures. In 1990, Earth Day was again commemorated, and this time on an international scale, reaching 141 countries and involving 200 million people. The celebration only grew from there, and continues as an annual event around the world. However, Earth Day now faces a formidable challenge from climate change deniers and powerful lobbying groups. -- source link
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