Earth Day 2011 – April 22

Written by Judy W Bell on April 22, 2011. Posted in Lessons in History

Earth Day was first envisioned by Senator Gaylord Nelson in the early 1960s because he was concerned that politicians were not addressing environmental issues. This concern was spurred by a trip Nelson made to Santa Barbra following the massive oil spill in 1969. Nelson organized a national grassroots effort in the spring of 1970 to promote conservation and environmental awareness. This first Earth Day in the United States helped pave the way for the US Environmental Protection Agency as well as the passage of the Clear Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species acts.

Fast forward… in 2000, Earth Day 2000 became an international grassroots outreach. This event enlisted more than 5,000 environmental groups outside of the U.S. and reached hundreds of millions of people in 183 countries. Each year Earth Day is observed on April 22.

In the United States, Earth Day 2011 will be celebrated as “A Billion Acts of Green: Personal, organization and corporate pledges to live and act sustainably.”

We can all do our part by recycling, reducing consumption, composting, and using sustainable energy sources.