As name implies Earth Day is about global issues
By Tia Nelson / Tribune News Service
I was almost 14 years old on April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day. I spent the day picking up trash at my junior high school, along with other young people.
My father, the late Wisconsin U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, came up with the idea of Earth Day. He said its purpose was to “get a nationwide demonstration of concern for the environment so large that it would shake the political establishment out of its lethargy.”
Twenty million people responded to his call to action that day. In doing so, they demonstrated the power of individual action to change the course of history and help build a brighter future.
That first Earth Day ended up sparking a global movement that was successful beyond my father’s wildest dreams. It united people across political lines to take concrete steps toward a healthier planet, including the passage of the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Now, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day, the planet is in the throes of a sweeping pandemic that requires an unprecedented level of global commitment and cooperation. It is a moment that could have a profound impact on humankind’s response to the existential threat posed by climate change.
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