Like last year, this Earth Day will be different. People will be doing their part to clean up America while adhering to CDC guidelines due the pandemic. Despite the limitations, we still feel impassioned to help our planet by doing whatever we can do reduce waste and protect our environment. It’s hard to believe that Earth Day was founded over 50 years ago. The idea for Earth Day took root with Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson’s proposal for a teach-in in 1969 on air and water pollution. Yet, it was in New York where Earth Day began to bloom. Mayor John Lindsay felt so strongly about the idea that he closed 5th Avenue to cars and delivered a speech about it. Support for this idea grew to create Earth Day in 1970. Also, that year, the Environmental Protection Agency was established by the Nixon Administration, along with the passing of the Clean Air Act.
Earth Day has become a worldwide celebration with nearly 200 countries taking part in activities designed to make Earth a healthier place. These activities include student discussions, plantings, and highway clean-ups. The need for these activities has never been greater due to climate change and the introduction of new chemical compounds to make consumer products. They have ignited today’s generation of young people to act, utilizing the internet and digital media to connect with people by sharing ideas and data. People can instantly see the areas that have benefited from previous Earth Day activities.
This year, we can safely take a step to get us closer to creating a healthier planet, whether it’s participating in a small clean-up or switching to eco-friendly packaging. At Empire Group, we deal with environmental issues daily since one of our subsidiaries, Elk Environmental Services, was founded to handle the hazardous waste encountered by another one of our companies, Empire Services. Even though this Earth Day will have some limitations, our passion for creating a healthy planet remains unchanged.