Re: It\'s Earth Day Thursday
Doing a little further research, there are two "Earth Days". It appears the original was on March 21, 1970--the spring equinox.
You can read about the history (and San Francisco and UN resolutions)
here:
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EARTH DAY – to be a universal holiday -- to celebrate the natural wonders of our planet was first proposed by John McConnell in early October 1969 to Peter Tamaras, who headed the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Tamaras requested John McConnell to write an EARTH DAY PROCLAMATION. John McConnell wrote a Proclamation and presented it to the Mayor of San Francisco, Joseph L. Alioto. On March 1, 1970, Mayor Alioto issued that Proclamation as the Earth Day Proclamation for San Francisco.
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And here is an interview from a
April 14, 2000 of John McConnell:
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GA
(interviewer) "But why April 22? What happened on April 22 that is so critical?
JM
(John McConnell) What they tell you is that they 'just chose it for convenience on the campuses.' In 1970 they had a terrific protest movement going. They buried cars, and 'put garbage on corporate carpets'. See, the idea was about protesting pollution, and you know, to a certain extent that's fine. But the whole thing is that if you want to really build something worthwhile - you don't build it on a foundation of lies. They 'borrowed' the name 'Earth Day' for their event one month after we observed Earth Day. Then they represented their 'Earth Day' as the true Earth Day.
"I was urged to sue. But I just happen to be an Evangelical Christian, and I don't believe in trying to settle problems that way. I went to them. I saw them. In fact Denis Hayes told me he was sorry that they made a mistake on that since he didn't really understand. He wasn't the one that heard my announcement - and so he said they would come back to our day next year.
"But instead of coming back to our day, they tried to stop me at the United Nations. Senator Gaylord Nelson sent one of his aids to the Secretary General to ask him to change the date. He said that the UN has received the hospitality of the United States - and so here is a senator asking him to change [on that basis] the date to April 22.
"He [Secretary General] told him that I had come to him first, and that I had a much better idea - and that was it. He signed my proclamation.."
GA "But here is the whole point. Are they going to lock in April 22 - which is 31 days from March 21? Are they going to do this based merely on a giant student protest? A protest is not only a flimsy basis for such an important event as Earth Day - but it is negative and non-constructive by its nature. The Equinox is not only natural and symbolic - but intrinsically positive. Is the protest the real basis for this date - or is there something else?"
JM "Well, the only other thing they had was - and I really don't think they did it for this reason - because I think I understand where Gaylord Nelson is coming from. But when they had 'Earth Day' in 1970 on April 22 - it was the 100th anniversary of the birthday of Communism's Lenin in 1870."
...
GA... "What other reason could there be for the April 22 date? Can you think of anything else?"
JM "No. They said that they just arbitrarily chose the day because it would be convenient on the campuses at that time. It may have been because of the warmer weather and/or some connection with Arbor Day. But I know of nothing else."
GA "But is that true?"
JM "I think that it may well be. At least I'll give them the benefit of the doubt there."
GA "OK. But they arbitrarily chose it, and they arbitrarily nosed you out of any recognition for the work you had done. The sad thing is that it forced attention away from the correct Earth Day and its rightful author - you.
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Earth Day 1 web site
-Bill