DARE TO BE GREEN: Strive to Keep the Earth Day Spirit Strong
By Sofia Gearty ’09
News Reporter
Earth Day? Isn’t that the random day in April when hippies and tree-huggers get the chance to urge mainstream America to convert from gas-guzzling fanatic consumers to nature-appreciating tree-planters?
You don’t have to completely stop buying clothes and driving, but instead consider the simple goal of Earth Day. This annual day devoted to celebrating and protecting the environment began in 1970 through the efforts of former Senator Gaylord Nelson. A long-time environmental advocate, Nelson first attempted to make the environment a more important public issue in 1963, when he persuaded President John F. Kennedy to embark on a nationwide conservation tour. JFK travelled through Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Utah, Washington, and California speaking about the importance of conservation, but the tour received little media attention.
The idea of a national environmental “teach-in,” or series of discussions and lectures on a subject of public interest, was sparked by the teach-ins on college campuses across the country protesting the Vietnam War. As Senator Nelson said during Earth Day ceremonies at the University of Wisconsin, “Our goal is an environment of decency, quality, and mutual respect for all other human creatures and for all living creatures. . .The battle to restore a proper relationship between man and his environment, between man and other living creatures, will require a long, sustained, political, moral, ethical, and financial commitment—far beyond any effort made before.” (Quoted at http://web.missouri.edu/~webberd/Nelson.html) This year on Earth Day, April 22nd, free concerts and other programs designed to educate the public about environmental issues took place in eight American cities: Washington DC, New York City, Miami, Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The events were organized by the Earth Day Network (http://ww2.earthday.net), the non-profit organization created by the original founders of Earth Day, and Green Apple Festival. The programs brought together environmental leaders, community activists, musicians, and artists, and attracted large crowds.
While people living in and around these areas are able to participate, we are relatively isolated from these events at Choate. But even if we cannot attend the concerts and festivals each Earth Day, we can—as intelligent and usually motivated students—take this opportunity to refresh our own commitments to the environment. Earth Day happens just once a year on an arbitrary date, but it serves to remind the public of causes that are bigger than us, and more far-reaching than the small, temporary preoccupations that consume us from day to day. The past few days have finally begun to feel like spring, and the sight of the delicate buds on the trees, which first appear red or yellow and slowly unfurl into tender green leaves, should inspire us to continue our commitment to preserving the natural wonders in our backyards and elsewhere.
Feeling inspired and looking for actions to take that will have a meaningful, positive impact on the environment? Here are the 10 Steps to Reducing Your Carbon Footprint which the Students Against Climate Change club and the Green Cup Committee organized for Green Cup:
