Earth Day

Earth Day is observed around the world on April 22. The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970, and is considered the birth of the modern environmental movement.

Before 1970, the health of the environment was not a common concern, even as industry poured chemicals and smoke into the air. In 1962, Rachel Carson, an ecologist from Pennsylvania, published a book called Silent Spring. The book became a best-seller and raised public awareness of environmental concerns.

                                                               

After the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, Calif., Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. senator from Wisconsin, organized a nationwide demonstration against the pollution and the deterioration of the environment. The protest was held on April 22, 1970. Approximately twenty million Americans joined the demonstration in support of a healthier and more sustainable treatment of the environment.