As a child of the 1970s with semi-Hippie-ish parents, I grew up with the environmental movement. Raised on granola with goat milk and alfalfa sprouts grown on a windowsill in a repurposed glass jar lined with damp paper towels, my family took seriously our role as stewards of the land. We gardened, collected rainwater in a barrel, and had a compost pile. I still habitually turn off the lights when I exit a room.
During my lifetime and spurred at least in part by the publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, the environmental movement has grown up, too. In 1970, Senator Gaylord Nelson and Congressman Pete McCloskey joined forces with activist Denis Hayes to do campus teach-ins to raise awareness about environmental concerns. The candle they lit became Earth Day in 1970 and led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. It also led to the passage of the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act, among other significant legislation. By 1990, Earth Day became a global event and it is now marked in nearly 200 countries around the world.
If you are looking for ways to get involved with Earth Day activities this year, check out this link to find a wide variety of opportunities for all ages and abilities. You can also make sustainability part of your daily life with the ideas found at this link, and if you would like to take part in the Climate Action Summit live stream today, you can do so at this link. There are all sorts of easy ways to get involved today and every day, from curbside recycling to reducing your consumption of single-use plastics and combining errands into a single trip. I’ll be joining you, right after I finish my morning yogurt and granola!
Jennifer B. Granzow
Ms. Granzow holds a JD from the Syracuse University College of Law. Her practice is concentrated in the areas of business and corporate law, real estate, economic development, and government relations, with an emphasis on grants and public funding.