Earth Day: How the world's largest environmental movement was born

Earth Day: How the world's largest environmental movement was born

Fifty years ago, 20 million Americans gathered to celebrate Earth Day. This was an event that affected environmental legislation for years to come.

On January 28, 1969, an explosion at a Union Oil platform spilled 100,000 barrels of crude oil on the Santa Barbara Channel and along the coast. At the time, it was the largest oil spill in American waters and the largest oil spill off the coast of California. Gladstone Hill, the New York Times' environmental correspondent, called it an "environmental" shot heard all over the world.

Later in the summer, Wisconsin Senator and environmentalist Gillard Nelson visited the site and witnessed the devastation himself. He decided to do something else.
Inspired by teaching against the Vietnam War, San Nelson envisioned a day dedicated to environmental awareness. So he put together a team. California Congressman Pat McCloskey will serve as co-chair, and Harvard-based student activist Dennis Hayes will manage a nationwide grassroots student network.

Nelson knew that the success of the movement depended heavily on student participation and chose the date of the first Earth Day accordingly. It happened on Wednesday, April 22, 1970, when most of the college students had returned from the spring break but were busy studying for the finals.

When the day finally came, it exceeded expectations. From New York to San Francisco, and across the United States, an estimated 20 million people rallied in support of climate reform.

And the federal government took notice. In July 1970, President Richard Nixon proposed the creation of a new federal agency to deal with environmental issues. By December, the Environmental Protection Agency was officially open.

Other environmental legislation was passed soon. The so-called Clean Water Act became law in 1972 and came into force a year after the Endangered Species Act.
In 1990, the Earth Day movement spread globally, thanks in large part to the efforts of the original organizer, Dennis Hayes. An estimated 200 million people around the world have come together to prioritize environmental issues. Two years later, President Bill Clinton awarded San Nelson the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his role as Evolution Day.

Today's Earth Day is celebrated around the world as a way to raise environmental awareness and serves as a reminder that we can all protect the planet in our daily lives.