What started as a grassroots movement more than four decades ago is now celebrated as a worldwide day of environmental observance and action.
Earth Day, as it is called, is April 22, and people around the world will participate in volunteer activities such as tree planting, shore and street cleanups and spreading awareness for things such as recycling, green energy and the hazards associated with pollution.
According to Live Science, then-Sen. Gaylord Nelson started a movement that led to 20 million people protesting across the nation on April 22, 1970 for action to defend the planet against pollution. The movement led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and legislative action that promotes planetary conservation.
“I believe it was pretty much considered Earth Day from the beginning. Of course, in the early ‘70s, the sweeping legislation, the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, those came out of that,” Barbara Lucks, sustainability officer for the City of Springfield, said.
People who want to find out about events taking place in observance of Earth Day can do so here.
“I would encourage people to really take a look because there are activities that you can spend all day or spend a few hours, or you can get to know an organization and actually become a member and do things with those organizations throughout the year,” Lucks said.
For anyone who has never observed Earth Day or participated in any conservation efforts, Lucks said the incentive to do so lies in all of the natural things found in the Ozarks, such as fresh air, spending days at a lake or taking in the scenery this area has to offer.
“If they enjoy those types of things, I think they need to understand that there is a responsibility that goes along with keeping them and being able to make sure that the next generation enjoys them as well as we do. That’s what Earth Day is really all about,” Lucks said.
Readers interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities and other Earth Day activities on April 22, as well as the rest of the month, can find them here.
