Did you know that Earth Day—April 22—marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement of 1970? 

The idea for a national day to focus on the environment came to Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, then a Democratic U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, after witnessing the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. Inspired by the student anti-war movement, he realized that if he could infuse that energy with an emerging public consciousness about air and water pollution, it would force environmental protection onto the national political agenda. Senator Nelson announced the idea for a “national teach-in on the environment” to the national media; persuaded Pete McCloskey, a conservation-minded Republican Congressman, to serve as his co-chair; and recruited Denis Hayes from Harvard as the national coordinator. Hayes built a national staff of 85 to promote events across the country. April 22, falling between Spring Break and Final Exams, was selected as the date.

On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values.

Earth Day 1970 achieved rare political and socioeconomic alignment, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, city slickers and farmers, tycoons and labor leaders. By the end of that year, the first Earth Day had led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. Will Earth Day 2017 be just as historic?

For the original post and to learn more, visit: EarthDay.org. Babcock Laboratories‘ mission is to safeguard public health and the environment through a family of employee owners who consistently deliver analytical expertise. To learn about the testing services we provide to live out this mission, click here.