Earth Day: Kind of Like Mother’s Day, but in April

Statistically, Mother’s Day probably isn’t going to fall on your mom’s birthday. Ever. At least statistically, it’s very unlikely. But it’s best if you give Mom proper recognition and appreciation anyway. Any day and every day.

Earth Day is similar. Earth Day is Friday April 22, 2022. Earth Day is always on April 22nd, and while it’s good to celebrate the earth on Earth Day–on the 22nd–really it’d be best to think about giving the earth appreciation and respect every day. And all the time.

After all, many cultures do equate the Earth to a nurturing, life-giving “Mother Nature” figure. And the reasoning for that isn’t that hard to figure out.  Like a parental figure, the earth has been taking care of our species for millenia, and we have taken far more than we have given back.

Of course, we don’t have an agreed-upon date for when the Earth was actually born, but we do have a good idea about when and how Earth Day became officialized in the U.S. The fact is that Earth Day–a day officially set aside to commemorate and recognize environmental issues that threaten the planet–and a day that’s now actually observed around the globe, has roots right here in Southern California.

BORNE OF TRIALS

Interestingly, according to earthday.org, Earth Day was founded in 1970 by Wisconsin senator & conservationist, Gaylord Nelson as a way to get people to recognize the importance of environmental issues. Wisconsin?!?! All I’ll say is that Nelson grew up near a lake and the woods in the early 20th century and spent a lot of time in nature, so it was always important to him.

Fast forward to the turbulent 60s and 70s. Perhaps you remember that leaded gasoline was the norm back then; the Environmental Protection Agency had not yet come into existence; factory pollution was a by-product of progress, not a cancerous disease to both the planet and its inhabitants. The earth was permanent, forever. America was still strong and would only get stronger and more productive in perpetuum because bigger was “always” better.

And yet, something wasn’t right with that thinking. Silent Spring had been published by Rachel Carson in 1962 (think Erin Brockovich but 30 years earlier), and it sold a half-million copies–and that at a time well before the internet took the information-dissemination game light years ahead to a whole new level.

In early 1969, there was a huge oil spill in Santa Barbara that still ranks among the biggest oil spills in U.S. history, according to the Center for Biological Diversity, ranking sixth in a list that now includes the Deepwater Horizon and Exxon Valdez disasters. 3 million gallons. The spill affected California shores from Pismo Beach down to the Mexican border. 

Young Senator Nelson saw the damage and decided that student activism–like that prompted by U.S. involvement in the Vietnam war–could be used as a tool to awaken the nation to environmental issues. Teach-ins were organized on college campuses to raise awareness, and they chose April 22nd because it was midway between Spring Break and Final exams and so they’d be sure to get a lot of on-campus involvement.  Nearly 10% of America’s population turned out to support the Ecology and Earth Day ideals. 

The Earth Day movement sparked interest across the population, crossing racial, political, religious and economic lines and giving birth to later legislation that would establish the EPA, the National Environmental Education Act, OSHA, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act.

Earth Day went global in 1990, and two years later, Senator Nelson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for founding Earth Day.

ALL SHE WANTS IS A BIT OF HELP...

Earth Day got a big boost from the Internet by the year 2000. Global warming and clean energy were hot topics. In 2010 Climate change was still a major public concern despite efforts to minimize or deny it. Nowadays, Earth Day is regarded as the largest non-religious observance in the world, and the fight for the health of our planet continues. Now is a time and here is a place where we can again unite across racial, political, religious and economic lines–to celebrate, respect and give back to our Earth, our home, our Mom.

EARTH DAY: A JUMP-START (or a RE-MOTIVATOR) TO ACTION: 

As April 22nd this year falls on a weekday, most celebrations will be scheduled for weekend dates around that time, though some commemorations may happen in the weeks preceding or following.

The theme of this year’s Earth Day is “Invest in Our Planet.” With global warming as an urgent cultural issue, as demonstrated by our increasingly erratic weather patterns, droughts & wildfires, this theme is relevant now more than ever. We have to actively work in harmony with the needs of the planet in order to recoup the benefits of the earth that we’ve lost over decades and centuries of industrialization and consumerism. We have to give back more in order to help the earth maintain its ability to give at all. At the most immediate and localized level, it affects that portion of our health that comes from being outdoors and interacting with nature and other people. You can find out more by visiting earthday.org.

And remember, observing Earth Day shouldn’t be just about celebrating on a single day. Cultivate daily practices so that saving the earth becomes an every-day habit. Here’s some ideas: 

• recycle and compost; it saves on resources and the resources devoted to manufacturing “new” products from raw materials;

• eat locally and organically, again, it’s better for the planet, better for your body, and it saves on fuel used for shipping;

• telecommute, carpool, bike (or e-bike), walk or take public transportation, it’s about the fuel consumption and the pollution associated with the ubiquitous use of motor vehicles.

• consider alternative energy sources and suppliers, (CNG, wind & solar generated electricity), renewable, sustainable, less polluting, with modern data tracking, now, more than ever, consumer spending habits has become its own form of powerful activism;

• invest in environmentally-sustainable & fair-trade companies & farms, 

• use reusable–or compostable–take-out containers, drinking containers, straws and shopping bags, think of it as “ultimate-recycling;”

• support local businesses that have similar sustainable values, products and services,

• mindfully employ these practices in your eating, work-life, recreation, and home- routines–every day.

Here are some Earth Day celebrations / observations happening locally:

Friday, April 22, 2022:

Friday, April 22, 2022 

Saturday, April 23, 2022;

Saturday, April 23, 2022;

Saturday, April 23, 2022 

Saturday, April 23, 2022;

Saturday May 7, 2022;

Do you know of more? Add them to our calendar here.