Earth Month: A Brief History

APRIL SHOWERS

April showers bring May flowers, but most importantly, April is Earth month! Earth month surrounds the celebration of Earth Day, which is officially celebrated on April 22 as it marks the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. Inspired by Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring in 1962, the oil spill in Santa Barbara, and student anti-war protests Senator Gaylord Nelson announced the idea of Earth Day as a university teach-in. With Pete McCloskey (a Republican Congressman) as his co-chair, and Denis Hayes (a young activist) part of his team, Senator Nelson scheduled these teach-ins to be on April 22, as the date fell between Spring Break and Final Exams (to maximize participation). After recognizing its potential, Hayes promoted events across the country, and it was later renamed Earth Day—a name catching national media attention propelling it to the international phenomenon we know today.

FUN FACT

Earth Day inspired a rare political agreement, supported by both Republicans and Democrats. By the end of 1970, the first Earth Day created a foundation for the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States. What’s even better is this agency allowed for the passage of environmental laws addressing concerns plaguing the nation for years including the Clean Air Act and National Environmental Education Act.

SOURCE

https://www.earthday.org/history/