 |
|
Founder of Earth Day, Denis Hayes
Courtesy of Grist Magazine
|
In 1969 a Harvard law student named Denis Hayes dropped out of
school to organize the very first Earth Day on April 22, 1970. That
historic day involving twenty million people led to the creation
of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Clean Air Act and the
Clean Water Act. Last month, Earth Day 2000 focused on Global Warming.
"It was a day when people all over the world stopped to think about
what kind of planet they want to leave for their children," says
Hayes.
But if you missed the festivities that took place in 185 different
countries on the planet, don't worry, Hayes says Earth Day is everyday.
On the 30th anniversary of Earth Day, Hayes still finds himself
called to action for the same reasons he established Earth Day in
the first place. "It became clear that although the country was
experiencing unparalleled prosperity, the things we care about most
deeply were falling apart," Hayes says. Obviously, a strong economy
does not equal a safe environment.
Hayes says there's a lot each of us can do in our everyday lives
to reduce the risk of climate change. For more about what you can
do pick up Hayes' new book, *The Official Earth Day Guide to Planet
Repair.* Proceeds fund the continued observance of Earth Day. But
if you never get around to buying the book, Hayes says, "Most people
know the right thing to do, environmentally, when asked. And if
people would just stop and ask themselves what the right thing is,
they know the answer."
For more information, log on to http://www.earthday.net
and for more of Betsy Rosenberg's Trash Talk, log on to http://www.trashtalk.org.
|
