Gaylord Nelson's, founder of Earth Day and former Wisconsin governor and U.S. senator, legacy is known and respected throughout the world. He was a founding father of the modern environmental movement and creator of one of the most influential public awareness campaigns ever undertaken on behalf of global environmental stewardship: Earth Day.
"The goal of Earth Day was to inspire a public demonstration so big it would shake the political establishment out of its lethargy and force the environmental issue onto the national political agenda. That is what happened... The idea for Earth Day evolved over seven years starting in 1962. It had been troubling me for several years that the state of our environment was simply a non-issue in the politics of the country. Finally, in November 1962, an idea occurred to me that was, I thought, a virtual cinch to put the environment into the political limelight once and for all. The idea was to persuade President John F. Kennedy to give visibility to the issue by going on a national conservation tour. I flew to Washington to discuss the proposal with Attorney General Robert Kennedy, who liked the idea. So did the president."
"Although the tour did not succeed in putting the issue on the national political agenda, it would be the germ of the idea that ultimately flowered into Earth Day. During the next few years, I spoke to audiences all across the country. The evidence of environmental deterioration was all around us, and everyone noticed it except the political establishment. The environmental issue simply was not to be found on the nation’s political agenda. The people were concerned, but the politicians were not."
"At a September 1969 conference in Seattle, I announced that in the spring of 1970, there would be a nationwide grassroots demonstration on behalf of the environment, and I invited everyone to participate. The date April 22 was chosen because it was before the summer recess for grade and high schools, and it avoided exam time on college campuses. I believe the support of these groups would be critical to any successful demonstration on behalf of the environment. That turned out to be a good guess... Within a week of the announcement that April 22 would be Earth Day.." -- Gaylord Nelson, Beyond Earth Day: Fulfilling the Promise
The Earth Day movement has since grown in scope and structure, and participation has gone global. Though its evolution has come under criticism—some argue the day is now a prime stage for corporate "greenwashing"—Earth Day has helped spread environmental awareness to all corners of the planet. In 1990, 200 million people in 141 countries participated in Earth Day events. In 2000, concerned citizens the world over came together in person and online to demand clean energy. In 2010, the Washington, D.C.-based Earth Day Network led 225,000 people in a rally at the National Mall for Earth Day's 40th anniversary, aiming to re-establish the day as a launching pad for environmental engagement. --Green Gazette
[...] Came after years of warning from psychologists that a changing climate is upending not just the physical Earth, but the mental well-being of its inhabitants. Some call it "climate anxiety." Others suggest despair about looming catastrophe - forests on fire, reservoirs without water, seafronts inundated and people rendered homeless - amounts to a kind of "pre-traumatic stress."
"Bleak climate thoughts can place an additional burden on those already struggling", said Lise Van Susteren, a psychiatrist who specializes in the mental health effects of climate change. That existential anxiety some people feel can be compounded by a sense "that government is not looking out for them. So this institutional betrayal is also a part of the wounding that causes a feeling of hopelessness," --Globe & Mail (Toronto, Canada)
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in ecological changes in aquatic ecosystems, affected the aquatic food supply chain, and disrupted the socio-economy of global populations. Due to reduced human activities during the pandemic, the aquatic environment was reported to improve its water quality, wild fishery stocks, and biodiversity. However, the sudden surge of plastics and biomedical wastes during the COVID-19 pandemic masked the positive impacts and increased the risks of aquatic pollution, especially microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and disinfectants. This paper reviews the impacts of COVID-19, both positive and negative, and assesses the causes and consequences of anthropogenic activities that can be managed through effective regulation and management of eco-resources for the revival of biodiversity, ecosystem health, and sustainable aquatic food production.--Sustainability
For more on the relationship between COVID-19 and the Environment, Check out these articles:
Plastic Pollution by COVID-19 Pandemic
Positive Impacts Among the Negative Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Community Life
Fact Check: Is Ozone Layer Healing Because of the COVID-19 Lockdown?
Information gathered from Earthday.
