The Birthday of Earth Day

by Chris Seiger

April 21st, 2009

 Most people have heard of Earth Day but have no idea where or when it started. The story begins with Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin. While the idea of environmental health was the goal, how it was to be achieved was a bit different from the kinds of thoughts that Earth Day conjures for most people these days. Neslon’s agenda was more about population stabilization, which he viewed as critical to environmentalism. More people use more resources and create more waste, and so on. Curbing immigration was one of the population controls he supported. Regardless, his timing was good – the environment was a top-of-mind issue. For example, five months before the first Earth Day, the New York Times ran an article by Gladwin Hill (who led an interesting life himself) which reported on the rising fear of “global cooling.” Ah, the good old days. Nelson actually patterned Earth Day observances after Vietnam War protests and rallies. The April 22 date was chosen to maximize college student and campus participation since it did not fall on exam days, spring breaks, or holidays. Oddly enough, April 22, 1970 would have been Vladimir Lenin’s 100^th birthday, which prompted conspiracy theorists of the time to suspect the event to be cover for a communist attack. It was also the birthday of Julius Sterling Morton who founded Arbor Day in 1885 in Nebraska.  In any case, on April 22, 1970, the very first Earth Day was observed by some 20 million Americans with the goal of a healthy, sustainable environment. Groups of people who had been fighting separately against things ranging from oil spills and corporate pollution to wildlife and wilderness development had the epiphany that they all shared a common value – the environment. Today, Earth Day observers number in the hundreds of millions worldwide as we work toward a cleaner, healthier world for everyone.