The first Earth Day in 1970 mobilized millions of Americans for the protection of the planet. On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans — 10% of the U.S. population at the time — took to the streets, college campuses and hundreds of cities to protest environmental ignorance and demand a new way forward for our planet.
Boy, how times have changed… as you may have gathered, today is Earth day. Actually, it’s the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day. It’s intent was, and is, the goal of raising awareness about mankind’s role in protecting our natural world.
I never intended that this blog would become, even a little bit, political. That’s still my intent, but it seems that everything is becoming politicalized these days. Earth Day brings to mind a number of things proposed or endorsed or enacted by the current administration that will absolutely impact America’s land, air, water and wildlife. I’m certainly not aware of all that is going on in Washington, but it appears that the tone for this administrations approach to the environment was set when the U.S. pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement.
The Clean Power Plan (an environmental policy of the previous administration) required the energy sector to cut carbon emissions by 32 percent by 2030. In 2017, it was rolled back by the EPA because of unfair burdens on the power sector and a “war on coal.”
Five companies have been approved to use seismic air gun blasts to search for underwater oil and gas deposits. There were a lot of concern about the deafening blasts, including the fear that they disorient marine mammals that use sonar to communicate… they were approved after NOAA found that they wouldn’t violate the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
When the current President took office, cars made after 2012, would, on average, have to get 54 miles per gallon by 2025. In August, 2018, the Department of Transportation and EPA capped the target at 34 miles per gallon by 2021. (This has created legal conflicts with states like California that have higher emission caps.)
Companies installing large wind turbines, construction power lines, or leaving oil exposed are no longer violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act if their activities kill birds.
Unlike national parks, national monuments can be created by an executive order and don’t have to be approved by Congress. The President’s says this means they can be dismantled just as easily. He opened Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante in Utah for mining and drilling companies.
These are only a few things that readily come to mind… there are many, many more actions that pose serious damage to the Earth. Franklin Roosevelt said, “A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purging the air and giving fresh strength to our people.”
The Earth moves without us and it’s apparent that it would be better off without us. Even as the coronavirus invades our world, we can still walk into nature and see the spirit of new life among the old life all around us. We should breathe in the air and ask how we can save this glorious space. Then we should just do it. Maybe Gandhi said it best — “The good man is the friend of all living things.”
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