Just 50 years ago, there was no Clean Air Act, no Clean Water Act. A factory could spew black clouds of toxic smoke into the air or dump tons of toxic waste into a nearby stream. It was perfectly legal.
In spring 1970, a U.S. senator from Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson, created Earth Day as a “national teach-in on the environment” and a way to force issues of the environment onto the national agenda. That first year, 20 million Americans demonstrated in different U.S. cities.
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“The response was electric. It took off like gangbusters. Telegrams, letters and telephone inquiries poured in from all across the country. 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,” Nelson was quoted saying after the event.
By December 1970, Congress authorized the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Many important environmental events have happened on Earth Days since 1970, including the 2016 signing of the Paris Agreement. This year, the Biden Administration will convene a global climate summit on Earth Day.
Every April 22 is now a global celebration that’s sometimes extended into Earth Week, seven days of events focused on green living. This year’s theme: Restore Our Earth.