It’s springtime! Every year on April 22, Earth Day is celebrated across the United States.
You have likely heard of Earth Day and may have even taken part in activities aimed at cleaning up or protecting our environment. But did you know that Earth Day has a close Wisconsin connection?
Earth Day began more than 50 years ago in 1970 when Gaylord Nelson, a United States Senator from Wisconsin and former Wisconsin Governor, conceived of the event. He thought a grassroots effort could bring awareness about environmental issues to citizens and politicians alike.
The world in 1970 was a much more polluted place. At that time, there were no laws to stop corporations or others from polluting the environment. Garbage was piling up everywhere, industrial waste was dumped in rivers and lakes and dangerous pesticides were sprayed across food crops. Many people were concerned about the way humans were treating our valuable natural resources. Something clearly needed to be done to reverse the damage we inflicted on the planet.
According to Gaylord Nelson, the National Teach-In on the Crisis of the Environment (an early name for the event) was expected to mobilize American youth in a huge effort to stop ongoing pollution and destruction of the environment. Millions of school children, college students and others took to the streets, organized events and protested to bring the issue to the forefront of our government’s attention which worked. After the Earth Day demonstrations and out of the efforts of many, the government established the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Clean Air Act by the end of 1970.
Gaylord Nelson was born in Clear Lake, Wisconsin in 1916. After graduating from college and fighting in World War II, he returned to his home state to practice law and began his political career. Gaylord Nelson served as Wisconsin’s governor from 1958 until 1962 when he was elected as a United States Senator. He remained in his Senate seat until 1980 when he was defeated by another.
Gaylord Nelson was an avid champion for the environment and helped enact several laws protecting our natural resources while in office. In addition to starting Earth Day, he contributed to the establishment of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, the preservation of the Appalachian Trail, the incorporation of the St. Croix, Namekagon and Wolf rivers into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, the development of the Environmental Education Act and aided in the passage of the Menominee Restoration Act and the establishment of the Upper Great Lakes Regional Commission.
Gaylord Nelson’s efforts laid the groundwork for many protections yet there is still major and wide-reaching concern over the state of the environment. Want to learn more about Earth Day, Gaylord Nelson or what can you do to help protect the environment? Check out these resources at the library:
“Earth Day and the Global Environmental Movement: Standing Up for Earth,” by Christy Peterson.
“The Man from Clear Lake: Earth Day Founder Senator Gaylord Nelson,” by Bill Christofferson.
“Taking Action to Help the Environment,” by Eric Braun.