Roots of the Green Movement 



By Jeannie Faris 



If you were among the 20 million people who celebrated 

 the first Earth Day 25 years ago, chances are you were on a 

 college campus. In the two and a half decades that have 

 elapsed, the event has evolved from a peaceful 

 demonstration in the style of anti-war 

 teach-ins to daylong family-oriented 

 festivals across the nation. 



Sen. Gaylord Nelson of 

 Wisconsin founded Earth Day in 

 1970 in an effort to shake 

 politicians out of their environmen- 

 tal lethargy. 



At the time, teach-ins were popular 

 on college campuses as a way to protest the 

 Vietnam War. So, Nelson asked, why not organize a teach-in 

 on the environment? He galvanized his senate staff and a 

 group of college students and announced that Earth Day 

 would take place in the spring of 1970. 



National wire services ran with the story, and the event 

 became a truly astonishing grassroots explosion, Nelson later 

 said. Nothing like that had happened before, although it was 

 not the senator's first effort to shine the public spotlight on 

 the environment. In 1962, he had convinced President 

 Kennedy to launch a nationwide conservation tour, spelling 

 out in dramatic language the emerging threats to the environ- 

 ment. The tour began in 1963, and although it failed to put 

 the environment onto the national agenda, it did plant the 

 seed of an idea that grew into Earth Day seven years later. 



In 1990, Earth Day was revived on a national level to 

 celebrate its 20th anniversary. It gained the support of over 

 200 million people from 141 countries. 



The 25th anniversary of Earth Day will be held April 22. 

 Look for activities in your community. El 



In 1990, Earth Day was revived 

 on a national level to celebrate 

 its 20th anniversary. 

 It gained the support 

 of over 200 million people 

 from 141 countries. 



m 



COASTWATCH 17 



