The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970 when U. S. Senator Gaylord Nelson organized a national rally to raise awareness about environmental issues. Up to this point, Americans remained fairly oblivious to the environmental damage cause by highly inefficient, lead gas guzzling cars, and the smoke and sludge produced by industry.
Senator Nelson was inspired by the student anti-war movement and wanted to harness that energy and passion to educate the public on environmental issues. His idea was to have teach-ins on campuses across the nation, knowing the media would cover such a wide spread event.
Senator Nelson recruited Denis Hayes, a young activist, to organize the campus teach-ins and to sell the idea to a broader public. They choose April 22, a weekday falling between spring break and final exams, to maximize the greatest student participation. It is estimated that more that 20 million Americans gathered on college campuses and in city squares to celebrate the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970.
By 1980, the United States had passed substantial environmental legislation, including The Endangered Species Act, The Clear Air Act, and the Clean Water Act and had established the Environmental Protection Agency.
- Sally
Silent Spring
by Rachel Carson
The book documents the adverse environmental effects caused by the indiscriminate use of pesticides. Carson accused the chemical industry of spreading disinformation, and public officials of accepting the industry's marketing claims unquestioningly.
The book appeared in September 1962 and the outcry that followed its publication forced the banning of DDT and spurred revolutionary changes in the laws affecting our air, land, and water. Carson’s book was instrumental in launching the environmental movement.
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Our Choice
by Al Gore
A co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for his environmental work, Vice President Al Gore illuminates the real solutions to the climate crisis and describes a comprehensive global strategy to implement them urgently.
Our Choice is an inspiring call to action for those ready to fight for solutions that really work—including some bold initiatives that were deemed impossible only a short time ago but are now gaining support around the world. Since the publication of the New York Times bestseller An Inconvenient Truth, Mr. Gore has led more than 30 "Solutions Summits" with top scientists, engineers, and policy experts to examine every solution to the climate crisis in depth and detail. Our Choice draws on conclusions developed through those summits as well as on extensive independent research, describing how the bold choices necessary to save the earth's climate should also be the foundations of policies worldwide to create new jobs and stimulate sustainable economic progress.
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Under a White Sky-The Nature of the Future
by Elizabeth Webster
In Under a White Sky, Elizabeth Kolbert takes a hard look at the new world we are creating. She meets scientists who are trying to preserve the world’s rarest fish, which lives in a single, tiny pool in the middle of the Mojave. She visits a lava field in Iceland, where engineers are turning carbon emissions to stone; an aquarium in Australia, where researchers are trying to develop “super coral” that can survive on a hotter globe; and a lab at Harvard, where physicists are contemplating shooting tiny diamonds into the stratosphere in order to reflect sunlight back to space and cool the earth.
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It’s Easy Being Green--A Handbook for Earth Friendly Living
by Crissy Trask
Surveys find that over 80 percent of Americans agree with the goals of the environmental movement. Sadly, most Americans admit to doing little more than basic recycling when it comes to acting on that disposition. What is the reason for this great divide between environmental sentiment in this country and individual actions? Author and environmental consultant Crissy Trask seeks to answer this question-and solve the disparity-with a new book that makes it easy to be an environmentalist, no matter how busy or hectic your lifestyle.
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Do One Green Thing--Saving the Earth through Simple Everyday Choices
by Mindy Pennybacker
If you can only read and reference one green thing, make it this an easily comprehensible, clearly presented source for green living. Everything you need to know is right here at your fingertips. Unlike a lot of other overwhelming green guides on the market, this is green decision making in bite sized pieces.With chose it/lose it comparisons throughout, now it's simple to figure out it's worth switching to a green detergent, what kind of plastic your sports bottle is made of, or which fish is safest to eat. Rather than spending time trying to figure out how best to go green, use this book and devote that time to making the difference.
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Earth Day—Keeping Our Planet Clean
by Elaine Landau
The air that we breathe is not as clean as it should be. Our forests are being cut down for wood and to make room for more buildings. Our lakes, rivers, and streams are being polluted, but there is still hope that things will get better. Earth Day is a special day to honor and protect our planet, and to try to make things better. Held every year on April 22, it is a day to think about ways to clean up our air, water, and surroundings. Many people of all ages take part in Earth Day activities each year.
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About the Author
Sally has been working at EPL since 2015. More often than not, you can find her downstairs in the Youth Library, but she makes guest appearances upstairs! Sally has worked for years in the field of social work and guidance counseling, but has always dreamed of working in a library. Dreams do come true!