One visionary leader, a skeleton crew of students, and a growing environmental crisis resulted in the largest demonstration in American history. On April 22nd, 1970, twenty million Americans raised their voices. That first Earth Day demonstration wasn’t conceived as a Hallmark holiday, but as an environmental wake-up call to our nation’s leaders.
By 1970, toxic waste sites dotted the country. The hole in the ozone layer was expanding. DDTs, PCBs and mercury were affecting bird and fish populations and causing expecting mothers to worry. Lead emissions were released from tailpipes. Trash was freely strewn along our highways and at the feet of one unforgettable Native American. In our own backyard, Lake Erie was declared dead and the Cuyahoga burned for a week in the summer of 1969.
Did Earth Day matter? In the ensuing decade, 28 significant pieces of environmental legislation were enacted, including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act and the formation of the EPA. We banned aerosols and leaded gasoline, improved fuel economy standards, reined in industrial polluters, and cleaned up some of our worst toxic waste sites. The culture shifted. Today, Lake Erie is a thriving fishery, while some of our most threatened and revered species have returned. So yes, it mattered.
In 2008, we face a new set of challenges. Global climate change and fossil fuel dependence are at the forefront. In the background, fertilizers, pesticides and petroleum products bleed from yards and driveways into our watershed, greenspace is lost, and invasive species continue to wreak havoc.
With a simple idea and a collective will, we initiated a giant leap forward 38 years ago. Today, we need to take another step. You don’t have to organize a march on Washington or tether yourself to a Redwood to make a difference. The first step begins with personal responsibility. Critically rethinking the way you use, reuse and recycle resources will help protect the environment. In the process, you may discover a surprising sense of satisfaction.
On Sunday April 20th, the Huron Valley Earth Day Festival will be held in Milford Central Park from 1–6PM. Enjoy the free music, activities, vendors and the rebirth of spring. While you’re there, teach your children (or let them teach you) how to care for our shared planet. Depart with a resolution to take that first step forward. For more information, please go to HVEDF.org.
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