Cynics could say: ‘Oh, there’s a day for everything—Cauliflower Day, Third Cousin Day, isn’t Earth Day just another day?’ We believe it is definitely not just another day. It is a day to remember and celebrate every year—now on its 50th anniversary—and especially in this current, pandemic context. The impetus behind Earth Day, the ideas and societal forces that brought it into being, and the environmental protections that were legislated through the movement it bannered, were mighty. Twenty million people took to the streets in spring sunshine on April 22, 1970 to celebrate the first Earth Day. Obviously, that is not an option for us today. So in lieu of encouraging you to celebrate in the streets, we invite you to look back at history, and look forward to what can be done, especially given what the “pause” in human activity has begun to show us about our impact on the planet.
Celebrating Earth DayA personal message from Sven Lindblad What presaged the first global Earth Day celebration in 1970? Hear some inspiring words that were foundational to the environmental movement of the era. |
Conservation conversationSven Lindblad interviews Dr Enric Sala, National Geographic Explorer in Residence Join us for a special Earth Day Zoom chat about vital currents in ocean conservation, as Sven interviews the man responsible for catalyzing major marine protections. |
Earth Day DeclarationIn the Celebrating Earth Day video above, Sven reads an excerpt from the Santa Barbara Declaration of Environmental Rights. Here is the document, as authored by Rod Nash, professor at UCSB in 1969. |