Earth Day Helpful Hints

History of Earth Day

April 22, 2023 is the 53rd Anniversary of Earth Day. This global celebration marks the anniversary of the first Earth Day in 1970, which gave voice to an emerging environmental consciousness across the nation. It may be hard to imagine that before 1970, a factory could spew black clouds of toxic smoke into the air or dump tons of toxic waste into a nearby stream, and that was perfectly legal. How was that possible? Because there was no EPA, no Clean Air Act, no Clean Water Act. There were no legal or regulatory mechanisms to protect our environment. 

In spring 1970, Senator Gaylord Nelson created Earth Day as a way to force this issue onto the national agenda. Twenty million Americans demonstrated in different U.S. cities, and it worked. In December 1970, Congress authorized the creation of a new federal agency to tackle environmental issues, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

This picture (courtesy of the EPA) of William K. Reilly with Gaylord Nelson, Earth Day founder, was taken at an Earth Day celebration in 1990.

Invest in Our Planet

Investing in a green economy is the path to a healthy, prosperous, and equitable future. While we all should be nurturing our planet every day, Earth Day is prime opportunity to demonstrate our support for the environment.     

Make Every Day - Earth Day

• Adopt-a-Storm Drain (Sign Up) 
  
• Be Energy Efficient
• Clean Energy (Sign Up)
• Compost
• Conserve Energy & Water
• Plant a Tree
• Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
• Use a Refillable Water Bottle
• Visit Your Local Famer’s Market

Let's Green the Planet Together!

For More Info

Earth Day Organization
Environmental Protection Agency