The idea for Earth Day itself came to Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin while on a conservation speaking tour in the western U.S. in the summer of 1969. At the time, anti-Vietnam demonstrations (teach-ins) had proliferated across the country. Senator Nelson had this idea:
"Why not organize a huge grassroots protest over what was happening to our environment?…tap into the environmental concerns of the general public and infuse the student anti-war energy into the environmental cause, [and] generate a demonstration that would force this issue onto the political agenda."
On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans participated in the first-ever Earth Day. The event was a huge success. It united groups fighting against oil spills, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife.
According to the National Wildlife Federation, Earth Day 1970 capitalized on this emerging consciousness about environmental issues, creating a tipping point from which the establishment of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and other major legislation followed. It also prompted political debate not unlike that occurring today (see this NBC newscast from April 22, 1970).
Since the inaugural day, Earth Day has expanded to include dozens of countries and hundreds of millions of people working together in grassroots efforts to sustain and preserve our natural environment. The success of Earth Day is remarkable.
Source: National Wildlife Federation
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