Recommitting to Climate
n t o c i a EARTH DAY CELEBRATES FIFTY YEARS
The year was 1970. Bell bottoms, crop tops, and go-go boots were in. Mustard yellow was trending. Psychedelic rock was groovy. And climate change had peaked as a public concern. l This spring marks fifty years since the birth of an environmental movement across college campuses and the nation as a whole. The connection between pollution and public health had become abundantly clear, as battles against oil spills, toxic waste, freeways, pesticides, and more came to the forefront. To capitalize on the energy of the student anti-war movement, US Senator Gaylord Nelson pitched a national teach-in day—nestled between spring break and final exams—that highlighted these growing public concerns. His gamble paid off. On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans mobilized across the country in support of environmental change. 24
SHIPPENSBURG UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
“My dad was a student at the University of Michigan in 1970—one of the first planners of Earth Day,” said Dr. Russ Hedberg, assistant professor of geography/earth science and sustainability coordinator. “To create that momentum set the trajectory of environmentalism. In America, it’s a day of demonstrations and teach-ins. We wanted to try to capitalize on some of that this year.”
