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". . .on April 22, 1970, Earth Day was held, one of the most remarkable happenings in the history of democracy. . . " -American Heritage Magazine, October 1993 |
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How the First Earth Day Came About
by Senator Gaylord Nelson For many years prior to Earth Day, it had been troubling to me that the state of our environment was simply a non-issue in the politics of our country. The President, the Congress, the economic power structure of the nation and the press paid almost no attention to this issue, which is of such staggering import to our future. It was clear that until we somehow got this matter into the political arena -- until it became part of the national political dialogue -- not much would ever be achieved. The puzzling challenge was to think up some dramatic event that would focus national attention on the environment. Finally, in 1962, an idea occurred to me that was, I thought, a virtual cinch to get the environment into the political limelight once and for all.
President Kennedy Conservation Tour
Environmental Teach-In In a speech in Seattle in September 1969, I announced there would be a national environmental teach-in in the Spring of 1970. The wire services carried the story nationwide. The response was dramatic. It took off like gangbusters.
Lasting Results
It was truly an astonishing grassroots explosion. The people
cared, and Earth Day became the first opportunity they ever
had to join in a nationwide demonstration to send a big message
to the politicians--a message to tell them to wake up an do something.
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