The History of Earth Day
Greetings to you! On every April 22, the people of the world come together and celebrate Earth Day! Earth Day is a annual global call to action for protecting our planet that started in 1970. The celebration is now one of the largest environmental movements on Earth.
In the1960s the United States saw a significant rise of pollution as the industrial economy expanded and grew. By the end of that decade the effects of pollution painted an ugly picture and its outcome was impossible to ignore. Earth Day President, Kathleen Rogers explained, “Smog blanketed cities, rivers caught fire and wildlife populations were in decline. It was a turning point. We began to see a giant wave of environmental damage [that] accelerated in the 1960s. The country was starting to grapple with the consequences of decades of industrial development that had begun nearly 70 years earlier, during the rise of the Industrial Revolution. Those changes included rivers literally catching on fire because boats would discharge oil and gas into the harbors and industrial facilities built along harbors and waterways were processing fuel.”
The result? River fires were common during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. According to the Washington Post, “The industrial waste-polluted Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio, reportedly ignited at least 13 times, and rivers in cities including; Philadelphia, Baltimore and Detroit had also burst into flames.”
“Chemical plants were dumping into our waters.” Rogers said. “We began to see enormous numbers of birth defects, as well as a decline in our species, including the bald eagle, which was reduced to very small numbers.”
Dr. Tracy Fanara (aka inspector planet) co-author of Kobee Manatee’s Climate Change title, personally experienced the Love Canal disaster, which occurred in her hometown of upstate New York in the 1970s. Tracy explained …
“I became aware of the Love Canal disaster that occurred in the 1970s in my hometown. Decades of dumping toxic chemicals in a landfill harmed the health of hundreds of residents. This led to my passion and work that I do today.
The 1960s and 70s were a time when pollution was increasingly unhealthy for people, wildlife and the environment. The government and activists were recognizing the need to act TOGETHER to make changes. and enforce regulations to save the nation’s natural resources and defend the public’s health.
A partial list of environmental regulations that had bipartisan support and were signed into law by JFK, LBJ and Nixon were the Water Quality Act, the Highway Beautification Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Wilderness Preservation System and multiple endangered-species laws.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, more than 200 national wildlife refuges, and national parks and many national seashores were all established during their terms.”
Rogers said, “The damage was becoming undeniable and it was clear that major change was urgently needed. Across the country, Americans were grappling with smog-choked skies, toxic air and the visible impacts of industrial pollution. The environmental crisis was no longer abstract—it was something people could see, smell and feel in their own communities.”
Earth Day co-founder Denis Hayes said, “Air in major American cities was as polluted then as it is in New Delhi and São Paulo today.” Hayes, then a graduate student at Harvard continued and said, “Plans for the first Earth Day began to take shape in the fall of 1969.”
According to EarthDay.org, “Because it falls between spring break and the final exam period, April 22 was the chosen date.” Rogers said. “By Earth Day 1970, we had over 20 million people out on the streets [nationwide].”
Here’s an Excellent Way to Talk to Kids with “Soft Facts” about Climate Change and Pollution …
One awesome tool for talking to kids about climate change and pollution is to read my fourth installment in the award-winning Kobee Manatee® Children’s Educational Picture Book series. It’s titled, Kobee Manatee® Climate Change and The Great Blue Hole Hazard. It contains “soft facts” about climate change and plastic pollution in our oceans.
When you read this award-winning educational picture book to children, it’s a fun and fictional adventure loaded with weaved in “soft facts” on climate change and plastic pollution. This quickly helps children learn about this serious subject in a fun and entertaining way. Here’s a brief synopsis …
Kobee Manatee, the protagonist and his seafaring pals, Tess the seahorse and Pablo the hermit crab swim from the Cayman Islands to Belize. Kobee wants to help his cousin Quinn clean up plastic litter at her new, all-veggie underwater bistro called Quinn’s Seagrass Café.
On their Caribbean journey they encounter harmful effects of climate change and plastic pollution. As if that wasn’t enough, several other unforeseen problems occur with a distressed loggerhead turtle, a giant Portuguese man-of-war, and a venomous scorpionfish. They’re all amazed when they discover the extraordinary Great Blue Hole. Then their adventure takes another crazy turn when Pablo plunges into its huge abyss!
Each page includes in-depth, scientific details on climate change and plastic pollution in our oceans with Dr. Tracy Fanara, NOAA Research Scientist (aka Inspector Planet). Tracy can be seen on The Weather Channel as a visiting expert and she’s also seen on their “Weird Earth” segments.
We have Fantastic Reviews on this New Release!
“I read the book to my 6-year-old this morning while he was having his breakfast before school and he loved it! We talked about the characters, what it meant for the pollution to be in the oceans for all the sea creatures, and how fun the story was. Thank you so much for writing such a great story for kids that is not only entertaining, but has a message!” – Jessica Vilchis, Co-Host KNBC California Live
“A well-crafted, thoughtful, and well-illustrated addition to a noteworthy educational book series.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Robert Scott Thayer presents an important environmental message in an engaging story with wonderful characters. Anyone who loves the ocean and wants to help save it should read Kobee Manatee: Climate Change and The Great Blue Hole Hazard. I’m looking forward to the next Kobee Manatee adventure.” —Readers’ Favorite
For young readers who enjoy imaginative tales surrounding affable and heroic sea creatures, as well as parents and/or teachers looking for a way to introduce youngsters to the importance of marine conservation, Kobee Manatee® Climate Change and The Great Blue Hole Hazard offers a perfect blend. Highly recommended! – Chanticleer Book Reviews
Keep watching for more of my updates on climate change!
If you see any sick or injured manatees, please call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at: 1-888-404-3922 (FWCC). They are the folks who are responsible for rescuing us in Florida.
Here’s the Save the Manatee Club link to learn more about us manatees …
Here’s a cool link for you to learn more about how we’re rescued and brought into rehabilitation …
~ Robert Scott Thayer
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