Earth Day

Earth Day was April 22, 1970, when for the first time millions of Americans demonstrated, rallied, held teach-ins and other events in support of a healthier, cleaner and sustainable natural environment. This original Earth Day teach-in was the idea of Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson who was inspired by and copied the anti-war teach-ins on American campuses held by students opposing the US war against Vietnam.

Since the first Earth Day annual observances have waxed and waned depending on the public's level of concern and interest in environmental issues.

The international coordinator for the 1990 and 2000 Earth Day's was Mark Dubois.

Earth Day and Corporations
This year, 2010, marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. It is interesting to note how Earth Day has evolved. Compared to the first Earth Day, a lot has changed in 40 years; specifically, corporations have been able to cash in on the hype of Earth Day by advertising and promoting various products. "So strong was the antibusiness sentiment for the first Earth Day in 1970 that organizers took no money from corporations and held teach-ins to challenge corporate and government leaders.” In contrast, today's Earth Day has allowed corporations to use the day as a marketing platform. For example, "F. A. O. Schwarz is taking advantage of Earth Day to showcase Peat the Penguin, an emerald-tinted plush toy that, as part of the Greenzys line, is made of soy fibers and teaches green lessons to children. The penguin, Greenzys promotional material notes, “is an ardent supporter of recycling, reusing and reducing waste.” "Gray Line, a New York City sightseeing company, will keep running its buses on fossil fuels, but it is promoting an “Earth Week” package of day trips to green spots like the botanical gardens and flower shopping at Chelsea Market."

Ardent supporters of Earth Day are disturbed by this new trend. “This ridiculous perverted marketing has cheapened the concept of what is really green,” said Denis Hayes, who was national coordinator of the first Earth Day and is returning to organize this year’s activities in Washington. “It is tragic.” It is also worth noting the increasing number of environmental groups who have sought out sponsorship and partnership from corporations, albeit green corporations. This Earth Day, Greenpeace has partnered with Cisco and Google to "hold a Web seminar focused on how the use of new technologies like videoconferencing and “cloud” computing can reduce the nation’s carbon footprint." Daniel Kessler, a spokesman for Greenpeace, said it was necessary to “promote a counterweight to the fossil fuel industry.”

Related Sourcewatch articles

 * Big Green
 * Greenwashing
 * Liberal Foundations and the Environmental Movement
 * Olof Palme (info on the other Earth Day)
 * Peter Drekmeier
 * Jose Arguelles

External Articles

 * Associated Press, "Earth Day: No More Burning Rivers, But New Threats,", NPR, April 22, 2010.


 * Barbara Marshall, "Palm Beach resident's Washington Connections Helped in the Formation of Earth Day,", Palm Beach Post, April 22, 2010.


 * EPA, "Earth Day", EPA, April 22, 2010.

Green Critiques of the Green Movement

 * Jim Donahue, Environmental Board Games, Multinational Monitor, March 1990.
 * Peter Montague A Letter to Friends, Rachel's Environment & Health Weekly'', Number 407, September 15, 1994.
 * REVIEW - Losing Ground: American Environmentalism at the Close of the Twentieth Century by Mark Dowie, Booklist, 1995.
 * Brian Tokar, Questioning Official Environmentalism, Z Magazine, April, 1997.
 * Derrick Jensen, WAR ON TRUTH - The Secret Battle for the American Mind: An Interview with John Stauber, Originally appearing in The Sun, March, 1999.
 * Bob Burton, Chilling and Gassing with the Environmental Defense Fund, PR Watch, First Quarter 1999.
 * Alexander Cockburn, Greens, Fears and Dollars, The Nation, December 7, 2000.
 * John Borowski, Say It Ain’t So, Senator Daschle - Shame on the Big Green Environmentalists, Alternatives, Fall 2002.
 * Michael Donnelly, The End of the Innocence...Again Behind the Green(back) Curtain, Counterpunch, May 24, 2005.
 * Mark Dowie, "The Fruit of Your Coins", Grist, May 19, 2005. (In film short, Mark Dowie plugs plan to boost funding for grassroots activism).
 * Mark Dowie, My View: Support Grass-Roots Environmentalists", The Chronicle of Philanthropy, April 20, 2006.
 * Jeffrey St. Clair, The Withering of the American Environmental Movement - The Thrill is Gone, Counterpunch, February 3/4, 2007.
 * Roddy Scheer, The Big Green Merge, E Magazine, May 21, 2007
 * Michael Donnelly, Big Green Fiddles As the World Burns - Dodging Ecocide, Counterpunch, January 19/20, 2008
 * Michael Donnelly, The End of the Innocence...Again Behind the Green(back) Curtain, Counterpunch, May 24, 2005.
 * Michael Shellenberger and Ted Nordhaus, The Death of Environmentalism - Global warming politics in a post-environmental world, Grist, January 13, 2005.