Hi Janice,
On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans joined together in
demonstrations across the country which placed the environment on the national
political agenda. The widespread environmentalism Earth Day inspired was
the impetus behind the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency
and the passage of landmark legislation such as the Clean Air Act, Clean
Water Act and Endangered Species Act.
But things have changed in the last 36 years. What started as an event
organized by ordinary citizens has now turned into an opportunity for
many of the corporations that pollute our earth and lobby against
environmental protections to falsify their environmental credibility.
Help us celebrate Earth Day the old fashioned way by sharing your
favorite ideas for celebrating the earth without the sponsorship of
polluters. We'll share some of the best ideas on our Web site before Earth Day.
Then, ask your friends and family to share their ideas too by
forwarding them this e-mail.
Follow the link below or paste it into your Web browser to share your
ideas:
http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/action/other/earth-day
More on the history of Earth Day:
On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans joined together in
demonstrations across the country designed to place the environment on the national
political agenda. Citizens took to the streets to protest the
destruction of the planet at the hands of industry. They filled classrooms and
auditoriums to strategize about cleaning up their communities.
Politicians fanned out from the Capitol, leaving Congress shut down for the day
while they returned to their districts to stump on a novel issue: the
environment.
The demonstrations successfully put the issue of the environment into
the mainstream of American politics. American Heritage Magazine called
the inaugural Earth Day "one of the most remarkable happenings in the
history of democracy." Indeed, its exhibition of widespread
environmentalism was the impetus behind the creation of the Environmental Protection
Agency and the passage of landmark legislation such as the Clean Air
Act, Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act.
Earth Day's 20th anniversary in 1990 drew a record 200 million
participants in 141 countries. It came at a peak of environmental interest in
the country, when books such as 50 Things You Can Do to Save the Earth
and Hints for a Healthy Planet were bestsellers, and one out of every
four new products released at the time were labeled "recyclable,"
"biodegradable," "compostable" or "ozone friendly."
The popularity of green consumerism coinciding with Earth Day 1990
heralded for environmentalism a positive change in degree but a problematic
shift in kind. On one hand, citizens were increasingly aware of the
environmental impact of their lifestyle and eager to alleviate it. On the
other hand, environmental accountability was being passed from
corporations and governments to consumers.
Earth Day 1990 marked the transfer. In contrast with the politicized
citizen engagement that characterized the first Earth Day, Earth Day 1990
was, according to social ecologist Brian Tokar, "a day of polite,
feel-good commemorations with strikingly little social or political content;
many big city events were almost wholly sponsored by major
corporations." Time Magazine was more graphic in its appraisal, calling Earth Day
1990 "a commercial mugging."
Five years later, Earth Day's 25th anniversary demonstrated that the
event had again strayed far from its roots. Earth Day USA, an
organization created by environmental business consultant John Anderson and
inaugural Earth Day co-founder U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson, presumed the role of
umbrella planner and fundraiser for Earth Day events nationwide.
To raise the necessary resources, the organization attempted to turn
Earth Day, the name of which is in the public domain, into a private
commodity. For upwards of $30,000, companies bought exclusive sponsorships
with rights to the Earth Day USA logo.
Companies were not subject to any sort of screening test. Denis Hayes,
who co-founded the first Earth Day with Nelson, complained that many of
the sponsors "didn't pass the giggle test" when it came to their actual
environmental records. Earth Day USA even contemplated forming a second
organization, the "Earth Day Corporate Team," to enhance funding from
corporations.
Earth Day USA's corporate fundraising plans didn't just backfire on the
group itself; they debased the reputation of Earth Day on what was
supposed to be a momentous occasion. In its newsletter The Planet, the
Sierra Club asked, "Earth Day 1995: Celebration or Wake?" Aside from
scandal surrounding Earth Day USA, Earth Day coverage was more likely to be
found on the lifestyle page than the news page. After all, organizers
had disincentive to make news by protesting against global warming if
they accepted sponsorship from an auto manufacturer, or against acid rain
if they took money from the local power plant. Bill Gifford wrote in
Outside magazine, "the overriding 'idea' of Earth Day 25's planners
seemed to be to out-hoopla 1990. And many observers say that, in the rush to
put on the biggest, baddest eco-bash ever, the [environmental] message
got left behind."
The case of Ford Motor Company in 2000 shows the lengths to which
corporations will go to take over the news surrounding Earth Day. In the
week preceding Earth Day, Ford came to San Francisco to honor "Heroes of
the Planet" with a parade, concert and reception. Joshua Karliner and
Kenny Bruno of Corporate Watch asserted, "Ford has no moral authority to
associate itself with environmental heroism." At least two of the
"heroes" agreed and declined Ford's invitation.
Ford lavished its generosity elsewhere as the exclusive sponsor of
Time's "Earth Day 2000 Special Edition: How to Save the Earth and the
Heroes for the Planet Who Are Making It Happen.," and the exclusive
advertiser in two special issues of Time for Kids, with an audience of 2.8
million elementary school students.
Earth Day can be more than an excuse for corporations to act green. We
look forward to a future when the public and political awareness of
environmental issues is again the true aim of Earth Day.
Please let us know how you will celebrate Earth Day 2006 and we'll post
our favorite answers on our Website. Then, ask your friends and family
to share their ideas too by forwarding them this e-mail.
Follow the link below or paste it into your Web browser to share your
ideas:
http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/action/other/earth-day
Sincerely,
Dan Jacobson
Environment California Legislative Director
DanJ@environmentcalifornia.org
http://www.EnvironmentCalifornia.org
P.S. Thanks again for your support. Please feel free to share this
e-mail with your family and friends.
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