Earth Day More Important Than Ever
Note: This is a reprint of a blog post I wrote for UC ANR several years ago, updated with an invitation for an event this evening in the #805
Earth Day is Personal
My father was ahead of his time.
Years before Americans were asked to, Jim Hayden ensured that our family conserved energy by keeping the thermostat low, turning off lights and taking "military" showers to reduce water use. My father also observed the speed limit. Our family vacations took us to national parks. I grew up with a keen appreciation for the outdoors. I remember the sense of horror and helplessness when I saw the images of distressed wildlife in the aftermath of the Santa Barbara oil spill, which devastated the beaches that were an important part of our family's life.
In part as a result of that oil spill, Earth Day came into being. And 54 years after that inaugural Earth Day event, many of us will find ourselves at a gathering dedicated to increasing awareness of the environment that supports and sustains us all.
History of Earth Day
Earth Day was launched in 1970. Many factors contributed to the call for a national day focusing on environmental stewardship, including the publication of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring - serialized in the New Yorker - and the catastrophic oil spill that occurred off the coast of Santa Barbara in 1969. The Santa Barbara oil spill galvanized U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-Wisconsin) to call for a national day of locally inspired and organized "teach-ins" on the environment - a national "Earth Day." The Earth Day model was inspired by the spirit of campus activism at the nation's colleges and universities. It wasn't top-down, but rather a grassroots effort that encouraged communities to develop educational and service events around issues and topics important to them.
Earth Day struck a chord; some estimates suggest that 1 in 10 Americans participated in the first events. Earth Day is widely credited with "sparking" the modern environmental movement. Landmark environmental legislation swiftly followed (including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act). The Environmental Protection agency was founded that same year. Twenty years after its launch, Earth Day became a global movement.
You can learn more from the Earth Day Network by linking to this website.
If You’re in the #805 On Earth Day…
You’re invited to join members of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 6:00 p.m. for a parish potluck. At 7:00 p.m., we’ll be participating in a diocesan-wide Earth Day initiative being held across six Southern California counties: Ring Out for Earth. We will ring our church bells for 425 seconds (7:08) to call attention to the urgency to care for God’s creation. 425 reflects that the global atmospheric carbon dioxide (C02) concentration has reached 425 parts per million (ppm) as measured by the Keeling Curve.
We’re located at 3290 Loma Vista Road, Ventura, across from the Ventura County Medical Center. All are welcome here.
Within the context of yesterday’s preaching and readings (Good Shepherd Sunday), I was reminded again of our responsibility to lovingly and faithfully steward the things that are in our care.
I’m proud to serve on the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles Bishop’s Commission on Climate Change. Learn more about our work here, and join us!
A Music Video From St. Paul’s Choir
I hope you enjoy this brief video from St. Paul’s Choir. We sang the song in its entirety yesterday.
Blessings, always.