Happy Earth Day

I was a little cynical about the first Earth Day celebration. In 1970 I attended that inaugural event as observed at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion. The place was jammed. There were a slough of singers, comedians, and speakers. It was a "happening" in a time of "happenings." It was a hippie-type event in line with the Vietnam war demonstrations which were taking place about once a month on that campus. All such events provided a great reason for my brother and I to skip out after dinner, forgo the homework, and hang out with a bunch of college students holding candles, singing songs, and listening to impassioned speakers.

As it turns out, the participation piece of it was quite okay. It is fun to have those memories, to have taken a front row seat in those historic and socially turbulent late 60's and early 70's. But even then, at the age of 13, I could tell the value in events such as Earth Day lie in its "cool factor." I could tell that I wasn't alone, sitting there in that jam-packed arena, feeling that this was fun and cool.

All these 42 years later people continue to celebrate Earth Day. Now it's a global event. And now, seemingly like every other social endeavor from AIDS to breast cancer to heart disease to pet adoption, Earth Day provides a commercial platform for companies and individuals who realize that social activism can be good for sales. Like I said, a little cynical about Earth Day.

The really good news is that there were a few right thinking individuals at the heart of the original Earth Day, including the founder. Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson went to Washington, D.C. in the early 1960's and immediately recognized the need for an environmental agenda. His concern, his agenda, his Earth Day celebration, is responsible for several generations growing up with an awareness of the fragile tolerance of our environment. And while Earth Day celebrations nationwide may serve as platforms for marketing and sales of stuff, the fact remains, more people know about recycling now than in 1970. The awareness exists today to have a national debate on subjects such as off-shore drilling, mining, extraction of resources, climate change, and management of wildlife.

I'm still cynical about all this. Humans are still creatures in pursuit of comfort and convenience. We are biologically programmed to do what every other organism does: live to reproduce. And, like parasites that kill their host in the process, although we have generated greater knowledge and awareness of our behaviors, the destructive behavior continues on a global scale. We deny, debate, and defer action in spite of ongoing environmental degradation. Unfortunately for the human parasite, we do not have another host at the ready for when we have finished ravaging the present body we call home.

In spite of our best efforts to the contrary, beauty abounds on this generous planet. If nothing else, perhaps Earth Day is a good day to take a look around and appreciate that fact.