For most of the 20th century, industry was allowed to pollute indiscriminately. Then, in 1960, a book was published that changed everything. Rachel Carson's Silent Spring exposed the environmental and human dangers of pesticides and inspired a generation of activists. One of those inspired by her book was Senator Gaylord Nelson. In 1969, after a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, he decided that something must be done. He took cues from the student anti-war movement and announced the idea for teach-ins on college campuses, and recruited young activist Denis Hayes to organize it. They chose April 22, 1970 because it fell between Spring Break and finals, maximizing student participation. The effort soon broadened to include other local organizations fighting corporate pollution, and they changed the name to Earth Day. 20 million Americans took to the streets to protest the decades of pollution that had resulted in serious health issues and environmental damage. To this day, Earth Day 1970 remains the largest secular day of protest in the world. Later that year, the Environmental Protection Agency was formed by the Nixon administration to regulate industrial pollution, followed by amendments to the Clean Air Act in 1970 and the creation of the Clean Water Act of 1972. Earth Day is a perfect example of how a book, together with citizen action, can literally change the world.
Today, while the challenges may be different, the need for Earth Day is as pressing as ever. Our libraries have several events planned throughout the month of April:
April 8 at Morgan Hill Library: Growing Culinary Herbs
April 9 at Saratoga Library: The Joy of Drawing - Tulips in Spring
April 9 at Los Altos Library: Pelicans, Herons, and Egrets, Oh My!
April 11 at Milpitas Library: Mend with Friends
April 14 at Morgan Hill Library: Family Fun Night: Seed Pot Decorating
April 14 at Saratoga Library: Master Gardeners: Healthy Soil
April 15 at Morgan Hill Library: Kids Art Club: Land Art
April 16 at Los Altos Library: Stylish Sustainability Craft
April 17 at Milpitas Library: Earth Day Craft for Kids
April 18 at Morgan Hill Library: Clothes Mending for Teens
April 21 at Los Altos Library: Go Green Series: Living Electric
April 25 at Milpitas Library: Worm Composting Workshop
And of course, we have books! Learn more with these great titles from the library:
Learn from our past and protect our future.
See how kids can do their part for our planet!
