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Earth Day: The Largest Global Teach-In

April 15, 2021   ·   0 Comments

By Sandy Brown

As we navigate the Emergency Break, watch the covid numbers rise dramatically and wait for our turn for the vaccine, it’s hard to focus on much else, and it’s hard to think about climate change. But we must because more large-scale actions are needed to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

 The theme of Earth Day 2021, “Restore Our Earth,” builds on the emerging concept of exploring green technologies and natural systems processes, like reforestation and soil conservation to store carbon and reduce the impacts of climate change.

The pandemic has shown us that climate change creates a ripple effect that profoundly affects how our planet functions. Deforestation, wildlife trade, air and water pollution, human diets, climate change and other issues have fed into a breakdown of our natural systems and a weakening of climate policies and the global economy.

Earth Day is a time to promote awareness and appreciation for the environment, sustainable living and learning about the science, social and environmental effects of climate change.

Did you ever wonder how Earth Day started?

Rachel Carson, an American author of the 1962 groundbreaking book Silent Song, is attributed to bringing attention to environmental issues. Originally written as an investigative column for The New York Times, Carson’s work raised public health and environmental alarms with warnings of the dangers of large-scale pesticide use, specifically DDT. In these days of no environmental protections or concerns, this work demonstrated that humans could impact the environment with pesticide use. This harm travels the globe before coming back and ending up in our bodies.

Modernization brought industrial waste, auto emissions and oil spills, including a Union Oil well in California that saw 200,000 gallons of oil spill into the Pacific Ocean. Six months later, the oil and chemicals floating on the Cuyahoga River’s surface in Ohio burst into flames.

These burning images, Carson’s work and testimony before a Senate subcommittee sparked outrage in young adults across America and gained political attention.

Earth Day, 1970

Despite the growing grassroots movements, environmental activists had not come together to form a genuine movement. This lack of progress frustrated the Senator from Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson. In August 1969, while visiting the oil spill site in California, he was inspired by the anti-war teach-ins and planning for a national Environmental Teach-In started.

Committed to this national awareness day, Nelson reached across the aisle and created a bipartisan steering committee to oversee the event. In December 1969, 25-year-old student activist Denis Hayes was hired as the National Organizer. On a strict timeline and tight budget, Hayes worked on creating teams across the country to run small events on April 22, 1970. More than 12,000 events were held across the country, causing cities to restrict traffic to accommodate the 20 million people who participated. Parades and parodies were instant news headlines and led to the Environmental Protection Act (EPA), resulting in the Clean Air Act in 1970, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act of 1972. Post-secondary schools established environmental studies programs.

1990: Earth Day Goes Global

Nearing the end of the 80s, Earth Day organizers and environmental leaders again went back to Denis Hayes to organize a global campaign taking environmental issues to the world’s stage. Earth Day 1990 focused on changing consumer habits, embracing recycling programs and changing corporate practices. The effects of this “Think Globally … Act Locally” campaign are most evident in the fast-food industry, which abandoned styrofoam packaging and plastic bags. 141 countries participated, drawing 200 million people with local actions that contributed to the global community and helped pave the way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

Climate Change and Post-Pandemic Rebuilding

Researchers mobilized quickly to gather data, share ideas and practices, collaborated across multiple disciplines and borders, formed successful partnerships with corporations and entrepreneurs to provide innovative solutions to fighting the pandemic. These industry experts have shown clear evidence linking our health and the environment that is just as overwhelming as it was in 1970 as we head towards Earth Day 2021.  

Environmental, Business, Political, and Community leaders such as Bill Gates, Jane Fonda and Mark Carney are vocal about the environment being key to tackling our most pressing issues, including healthcare, social justice reforms and the economy. 

This theory is gaining ground with politicians and policymakers providing a renewed interest in addressing climate change with bold, creative, collaborative and sustainable actions. Innovative problem solving, bringing together multiple discipline experts and providing government support have led to new developments in battery technology, increasing the viability of EV and hybrid cars and green building technologies to reduce our carbon footprint and develop options for generating clean energy.  

Act on Climate Change

It’s going to take all of our efforts to restore the environment, both big and small. Learning is still the cornerstone of Earth Day. This year, most events will be held virtually, expanding your ability to participate in local and international events and add your voice to the debate.

Local events, educational resources, links to international events and information about local climate mitigation and plans can be found on the Town of Orangeville and the County of Dufferin website.

2021 can be the year to reach a breakthrough to fabricating a healthier, more sustainable and more equitable world.

This Council is listening – reach out to myself or any member of Council with your ideas!

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