In 1971, Dr. Seuss published “The Lorax,” which was kind of a fable about the toxicity of corporate greed and its effect on nature. Those who grew up reading Dr. Seuss may not realize the book’s message came out of a personal anger in the author. Until 1970, the Environmental Protection Agency and Earth Day did not exist. Many manufacturers were pumping toxic waste into the water systems and spewing toxic air out of the pipes of their factory. It was completely legal. Seuss did what he did best to right the wrong. He wrote a book. It took a U.S. Senator to make changes to the law and give Americans clean air and water.
We Have Gaylord Nelson to Thank
Before Gaylord Nelson served in the U.S. Senate, he saw action in Okinawa during World War II, while he was in the army. He earned his J.D. degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School, but he found success in the political arena. First, he served as a Wisconsin State Senator. Then he was elected governor of Wisconsin, serving two terms. Following his service to the state as their leader, he went to Washington D.C. as a U.S. Senator. His platform was mostly environmental issues, but he was also an advocate for small businesses and civil liberties. In 1970, the first Earth Day was celebrated in the U.S. on April 22. Nelson wanted to bring national attention to the issue. The following session, in December 1970, the EPA was born. In the following 10 years, there was added legislation to protect nature. Congress passed:
- The National Environmental Policy Act
- The Clean Air Act
- The Water Quality Improvement Act
- The Occupational Safety and Health Act
- The Water Pollution and Control Act Amendments
- The Resource Recovery Act
- The Federal Land Policy and Management Act
- The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
- The Toxic Substances Control Act
- The Federal Environmental Pesticide Control Act
- The Endangered Species Act
- The Safe Drinking Water Act
- The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act
Nelson would serve as Senator until 1981 when he didn’t win the re-election. In 1995, Nelson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work with the environment.
Earth Day 2016
The EPA fully supports Earth Day each year, but it has its own focus and initiatives. For 2016, the EPA’s theme for Earth Day is “Food Recovery.” The EPA estimates that about 37 million tons of food was wasted in 2013, and the numbers keep increasing. They propose an approach called Sustainable Management of Food to reduce waste which not only protects the environment and gives food to those in need. Individuals are encouraged to plan and shop more efficiently, to completely utilize everything they purchase. Just recently, Starbucks made the announcement that the company would donate all unused food. As more companies move toward better food use, it can save millions of dollars and keep tons of waste from the landfills.
Earth Day has an initiative as well. Today, the event is celebrated internationally, with many countries coming together in the UN to actively protect the environment. The current focus is on forestation, with a drive to plant 7.8 billion trees globally. Each year, the planet loses the number of trees which would fit into a country the size of Greece. The current push is for micro-forests in urban communities. Plant two or three trees in a smaller area to have the benefits of a forest without actually creating one. Earthday.org lists ways to get involved in your community to plant trees for in the United States. Take time this April to do your part to protect the environment and remember Senator Nelson, who we have to thank for clean air and water.