44 years later, still finding meaning in Earth Day

Each Earth Day, LandPaths Executive Director Craig Anderson remembers when one of the historic event's founders revealed to him "the number one environmental crisis in North America."

It was a quarter-century ago, and Anderson was seeking advice on graduate school from Denis Hayes, who had been the national coordinator for the first Earth Day. "What is it?" Anderson asked of the crisis.

"It's me," said Hayes.

For Anderson, who now leads a Santa Rosa nonprofit that promotes land stewardship and outdoor education, the answer meant not to point fingers at others. Instead, he heard anew that each of us has a stake in the planet's future.

Hayes, he said, kept asking himself, "Am I doing enough? Am I walking the talk?"

Now in its 44th year, Earth Day continues to prompt people to consider what they might do as stewards of the world, its supporters say. And today its reach has spread to more than 190 countries.

"It's the largest secular holiday in the world," said Franklin Russell, a director with the Earth Day Network in Washington. The network estimates that this week 1 billion people will take part in some activity related to improving the environment.

Local Earth Day activities began Saturday when more than 1,000 people gathered in Santa Rosa's Old Courthouse Square to explore water-saving methods and other environmentally friendly ideas. More events will continue until next weekend.

Earth Day was the brainchild of U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin. Hayes, whose participation with the annual event has lasted decades, was its 25-year-old national coordinator.

The first Earth Day in 1970 came as the nation was writhing with turmoil and division over the Vietnam War and issues of civil rights. That made it all the more noteworthy that an estimated 20 million Americans took part in activities around the country.

The federal government already had begun some early environmental efforts, including a 1969 law that is credited for the 1970 California Environmental Quality Act, which dramatically changed how local governments review development projects.

Nonetheless, Earth Day is considered a milestone in the environmental movement and an impetus for laws on clean water, air quality and protection of endangered species.

Sonoma resident Loren Cole was co-coordinator in 1970 of UC Berkeley's Earth Day program, where Nelson appeared.

"I don't think people realize what a transformative event that was," said Cole, who today is the executive director of Inquiring Systems, a nonprofit that provides sustainable ecosystem management services.

Earth Day showed that environmental issues mattered to Americans from all sorts of backgrounds and political views, he said. That revelation caught the attention of political, business and community leaders.

"It caused people to start taking notice," Cole said.

Earth Day is officially celebrated each April 22. But local events are happening over two weekends.

The biggest gathering was Saturday afternoon at Old Courthouse Square and was sponsored by the City of Santa Rosa and the Sonoma County Water Agency. Given the year's drought, water conservation was the theme, with presentations on capturing rainwater and using grey water to water plants.

"Earth Day provides us a great opportunity to talk to people about where their water comes from and how to save water and how to keep water clean," said Water Agency spokeswoman Ann Dubay.

As well, 200 volunteers were expected to turn out Saturday morning to help clean city parks and creeks, said Elise Howard, a spokeswoman for the city's Utilities Department.

Hayes today is chairman of the Earth Day Network, which this year is focusing its international efforts on greener cities.

For Anderson, Earth Day is a reminder of a time when the nation's environmental practices were far off track and "how much closer we are getting now."

He noted that LandPaths volunteers last year donated the equivalent of $282,000 in the hours donated for land stewardship, education and other activities. The same sorts of things are happening across "the full spectrum of conservation and community efforts."

"In some ways, every weekend is Earth Day in Sonoma County," Anderson said.

Cole, however, called it disappointing that Earth Day and related efforts haven't caused people to make the substantive changes need to affect climate change and other key environmental issues.

"We need to recognize that we are acting in a manner in which it is almost impossible for (ecological) systems to recover," he said.

For Russell of the Earth Day Network, the event remains relevant in addressing environmental problems. He maintained it gets people's attention, educates them and gives them ways to take tangible action.

"Earth Day," he said, "is a great platform for bringing people into the fold."

You can reach Staff Writer Robert Digitale at 521-5285 or robert.digitale@pressdemocrat.com.