40 Years: A Brief History of Earth Day

Story by Leslie Huffman | April 21, 2010 | Tags: bond park, cary, Earth Day, Environment, North Carolina, Spring Daze

Cary, NC – This April 22nd, the country will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.  The Town of Cary will be holding its celebration in conjunction with the Spring Daze Arts Festival this Saturday at Bond Park.  This is the 10th year that Cary has held an Earth Day celebration.

How Did Earth Day Begin?

In November 1962, Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin wanted to bring environmental issues into the political agenda. The first task was to persuade President John Kennedy to give visibility to this issue by going on a national conservation tour. President Kennedy liked the idea and began a five-day, eleven-state conservation tour in September 1963.  This was the seed that ultimately flowered into Earth Day.

At that time in our history, environmental degradation was appearing everywhere.  Air pollution was thick, our parks and roadways where covered with litter and a little thing called “the greenhouse effect” was being discussed by scientists.

“Everyone noticed except the political establishment. The environmental issue simply was not to be found on the nation’s political agenda. The people were concerned, but the politicians were not,” recalled Senator Nelson in a 1993 article.

The idea occurred to the Senator – why not organize a huge grassroots protest over what was happening to the environment?  Nelson announced that in the spring of 1970 there would be a nationwide grassroots demonstration on behalf of the environment and invited everyone in the country to participate. The news of the demonstration spread rapidly across the nation.

“The response was electric. The American people finally had a forum to express its concern about what was happening to the land, rivers, lakes, and air – and they did so with spectacular exuberance,” recalled Senator Gaylord Nelson.

40 Year’s of Earth Day

On April 22, 1970, more than 20 million demonstrators from 10,000 elementary and high schools, 2,000 colleges, and over 1,000 communities participated in Nelson’s demonstration. The occasion made people pay attention and concerns about environmental issues began to take root.

On March 21, 1971, the UN Secretary General signed a proclamation establishing Earth Day as an official international holiday. Now people all over the world are learning about environmental issues in their communities.  In 1995, Gaylord Nelson received the Presidential Medal of Honor from President Clinton for his lifelong work on behalf of the environment.

Celebrate Earth Day In Cary

During this Saturday’s Spring Daze Arts Festival you are invited to celebrate Earth Day’s Birthday by visiting 8 booths near the boat house in Bond Park.  When you visit your first booth, be sure to pick up an Earth Day Birthday Card.  Then take your card and visit all of the environmental booths to get a stamp and learn how Cary is helping the environment.

Stop by, play a game, get a stamp and learn about:

• Water Conservation – Learn about ways and devices that will help you save water in and around your house.  Play a fun game to “Whack Water Waste”.
• Recycling & Spruce – Ever wonder what you can recycle in Cary?  Visit the recycling booth to learn what items you can recycle and how to keep them out of the landfill.  Also, find out about ways to volunteer with the Spruce Program to clean up litter, plants trees and flowers and take care of Cary’s parks.
• Horticulture – Here you can learn about the importance of trees and pick up a free tree seedling.
• Wastewater Pretreatment – Our sewer system needs your help to protect it from clogs and overflows.  Learn how you can help by keeping fats and oils out of the system by recycling your oil.
• Parks & Greenways - Cary has so many beautiful parks and greenways, visit the booth to find out which greenway is closest to you house.
• Hemlock Bluffs – Hemlock Bluffs is a treasure in your backyard.  Play a fun game to learn about wildlife and the park.  Pick up some bird seed for our feathered friends as well.
• Storm Water – You can play a big part in protecting our rivers, streams and lakes.  Come to the storm water booth to learn how and make a cool button to take with you.
• C-Tran – Stop by to find out how you can ride a C-Tran bus and help reduce your carbon footprint.

Once you receive a stamp on your Earth Day Birthday Card from all 8 booths you will receive an Earth Day gift from the Town of Cary.  Remember, everyday is Earth Day!