My First Earth Day

[Alan Grayson]

I spent the first Earth Day, April 22, 1970, in the best possible place: in the park. It was a Wednesday, and no, I was not playing hooky. My junior high school science teacher decided to mark that sunny April day by leading the entire class, after lunch, to the park across the street from our school. He then let us enjoy the entire afternoon there. He was a remarkably enlightened individual. (Today, of course, he would be fired for doing that. But there were unions back then, so he was safe.)

That was a time of incredible cultural fertility: the environmental movement, the sexual revolution, civil rights, women's liberation, decolonization, space exploration, the antiwar movement . . . and the Beatles.

And if there is one image that sums up what we felt, and how we felt, on that first Earth Day and that whole time, it's the one called Earthrise: The photo that the astronauts on Apollo 8 took, as they swung around the Moon. The ur of the environmental movement.



Try to spend some time this week in a park, or in a forest, or on a beach. Take a child with you, if you can, to share the experience. And remember that, notwithstanding our vastly exaggerated differences, we all have two things in common:

1. Our Humanity, and
2. Our World.

Peace,

Alan Grayson

"In a highway service station
Over the month of June
Was a photograph of the Earth
Taken coming back, from the Moon.
And you couldn't see a city
On that marbled bowling ball
Or a forestOr a highway
Or me here, least of all."

Joni Mitchell, "Refuge of the Roads" (1976).

[druidity33]

1. Went to the forested hills

of Western Massachusetts with the family this morning. Watching the much needed rain come down right now. Thanks for fighting Alan, good luck with your election this year!



K&R

[KT2000]

2. Helped man a booth

for our project to get a Superfund site cleaned up. Lots of other people cleaned beaches.

Love the Joni Mitchell reference!

[Gregorian]

3. Every day is earth day.

Which is why I hate earth day. One of 365 doesn't cut it.

I'm off to ride a bike.


Also, in case someone wants to cut me down for being negative, I became a member of a start-up company this weekend which is going to alter the course of carbon dioxide emissions.

Here's a quote that is what I consider to be our motto-

“No smoke, no soot, no steam boiler, no steam engine, even no fire any more, because fire will only be needed for those processes which can not be accomplished in an electric manner, and their number will decrease day by day.” (Wilhelm Ostwald, 1894)†

[frazzled]

4. I was in Central Park on the first Earth Day in 1970

as a college student at NYU. Though I honestly can't say I remember much of anything about it. I wonder why.

[bvar22]

5. Healthy, rich, fertile dirt under the fingernails & sweat on the brow,

good things growing in the Sun,
forget the Prozac.

Sweet Tea says, "Everyday is Earth Day."

[sabrina 1]

6. That's a beautiful photo bvar

[Odin2005]

8. OMG, SQUEEEE!!!

[janx]

12. Beautiful! n/t

[Odin2005]

7. Happy Earth Day, Alan!

[libinnyandia]

9. I helped organize an Earth Day event at my college. It was so great to hear a biology professor

utterly destroy a guy's argument that pollution, etc were no big deal. That was on the first Earth Day. The whole campus was involved - though it was a small school.

[ellisonz]

10. K & R

[WillyT]

11. Happy Earth Day All !!!

[pkz]

13. My Papaw had a Christmas Tree Farm

and he donated 3 pines to my middle school, I was in the 8th grade. A coupla kids, me, my Dad and Papaw planted them on the playground

[janx]

14. I remember that day. I spent it with my father in our canoe, cleaning up

a section of river.

Gorgeous post, Alan.

[Rhiannon12866]

15. K&R! Thanks so much, Congressman!

For both the memories and the great song! Perfect pic! And wishing a Happy Earth Day to you!