Earth Day

Earth Day is a day set aside each year to promote awareness and appreciation for our environment. It was founded on April 22, 1970 by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson. He concieved the idea after a trip he took to examine an oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara. Mr. Nelson was outraged at the devastation the spill had on the environment. It seemed as if the politicians of the day were not interested in preventing future disasters, they were more interested in big oil campaign contributions. Nelson's idea was to educated the public on the importance of protecting our ecosystem through organized national teach-ins. Every university in the U.S. was to participate. Denis Hayes was the national coordinator, and in 1970, was successful in leading 20 million Americans to celebrate the first Earth Day.

Over the years Earth Day has gained a tremendous amount of support and popularity. Celebrities and dignitaries alike donate time and money for the cause. Today, more than 500 million people in 175 countries observe the day. Many cities have now began expanding the observation, making it a week long event- Earth Week.

Thanks to Mr. Nelson's vision, the world's environmental awareness has been heightened. Thousands of colleges and universities have organized protests against oil spills, power plants, loss of wilderness, the extinction of wildlife, pesticides, and toxic dumps. All of which are direct results of Earth Day.

As a good steward to Mother Nature, we must share best-practice ideas everyday to keep Gaylord Nelson's dream alive.