Every day's a good day to celebrate Earth Day

April 22, 2005

Spectrum/Mike Janecek

The following are excerpts from a proposal that was submitted to Peter Tamaris on Oct. 3, 1969. He headed the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and had requested John McConnell, the originator of the idea, to write this proposal. The name "Earth Day" was not used before this by anyone who has come forward with documented evidence.

€ "The observance of Earth Day will alert concern and interest for our planet - with its precious treasure of living things. Earth Day is to remind each person of his right, and the equal right of every other person, to the use of this global home and at the same time the equal responsibility of each person to preserve and improve the Earth and the quality of life thereon."

€ "Earth Day - a day to celebrate the natural wonders of our planet, to think about Earth's tender seedlings of life, was first proposed by John McConnell in early October 1969 to a few members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and other community leaders especially interested in caring for and improving our natural environment."

€ "On Nov. 25, 1969, the final day of the UNESCO National Conference, 'Man, and His Environment,' Cynthia Wayburn, one of the youth leaders on Mr. McConnell's Earth Day Committee, presented the idea and showed the Earth flag during this presentation at the luncheon. Many expressed support for the idea."

€ "In January 1970, the Environmental Teach-In participants, who were planning a one-time event for April 22, also decided to call their event Earth Day. This nationwide event attracted great attention and complemented the earlier West Coast observance."

€ "In 1971, Sen. Gaylord Nelson announced an Earth Week - for the third week of April — as a yearly event."

€ "The nurture and renewal of Earth is our most urgent task. To this end we, individually and with the help of others, seek in our jobs, buying habits, travel, land use and other actions - at home, work and play - to respect and protect Earth's amazing web of life, its soil, water, air, plants and living creatures, to act as trustees of our portion of our planet. We believe every individual and family should have an opportunity for a stake in this planet, for a home, education and meaningful work; that in their personal Earth-stake, or area of responsibility, they should act, not as spoilers of Earth, but as stewards."

- John McConnell, founder of Earth Day

We invite you to participate in our Earth Day celebration at the Valley Community Recycling Solutions open house today, Friday, April 22, from 5 to 7 p.m., to seek with us ways of living that will not hurt the Earth, but instead protect and nurture its beauty and bounty.

Michael Janecek is a board member of Valley Community Recycling Solutions.