The History of Earth Day & What it Means to Me

Zander (on right, in blue) helping plant trees Fall 2022

Zander (center) with his family during street tree planting in Hagerstown

By Zander Hine, Student Board Member

Did you know that Earth Day hasn’t always been a holiday? The first Earth Day was on April 22, 1970. Around this time, American citizens became mindful of the environmental harm that was happening in our country and around the world. Prior to this time, air and water pollution was not considered a cause for concern. It was common for the air to smell terrible and smog to be thick. Americans were using massive amounts of leaded gas in their automobiles every day. The first Earth Day was backed by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson and organized by Denis Hayes, a Stanford University college student. Their movement quickly became a nationwide initiative, with the first Earth Day having over 20 million demonstrators. 

Between 1970 and 1989, Earth Day was just celebrated in the United States. In 1990, a group of environment leaders approached Denis Hayes, the “father” of Earth Day, and proposed an initiative to “Go Global.” The campaign was a massive success, and countries around the globe increased their recycling efforts immensely. This monumental “Global Earth Day” also paved the way for the United Nations Earth Summit in 1992. 

Humans have done so much damage to the planet since dawn of the Industrial Age. But we all can make a difference! Planting trees, picking up trash, and using environmentally friendly products are just some of the things that can be done to try and slow the deterioration of the Earth. 

Since the creation of Earth Day over 180 countries and 5,000 environmental groups have contributed all over the world to better our environment. More than a billion people participate in environmental causes on each year for Earth Day. Imagine the impact if Earth Day were every day! 

I try to help the planet as much as I can - through volunteering with ACWA and advocating for youth  to become more involved in environmental issues locally. On this Earth Day, I am volunteering at an Earth Day event for children at my school. My station is teaching games that can be made out of used plastic bottles and plastic bags. I am also volunteering with the Youth Council of Hagerstown’s tree planting in City Park. I believe that it is important to get into nature as much as you possibly can, and always try to make a positive impact on the environment. 

What are you doing to make Earth Day every day?