April 22, 2018 marks the 48th anniversary of Earth Day. In 1970, as many as 20 million Americans joined demonstrations to raise awareness about environmental issues across the country. In 2015, over one billion people worldwide are expected to participate in Earth Day activities. This year’s theme, It’s Our Time to Lead™, is “…focused on delivering millions of voices to push global leaders to take action on climate change, the environment, and the connection between poverty and climate change.”
Although almost everyone has heard of (and hopefully participates in) it, few know the fascinating history of Earth Day. It was created by democratic Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin who was the first legislator to try to ban the use of DDT as a common insecticide. He spent his career fighting to raise awareness and pass legislation to protect our planet and is considered by many to be the father of the modern environmental movement.
