Earth Day and the Environmental Movement by Christy Peterson

Author:Christy Peterson [Peterson, Christy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Nonfiction, Young Adult Nonfiction, Young Adults, Science & Nature, Environment, Environmental Conservation & Protection, Conservation, Protection, Recycling, Green Living, Ecofriendly, Social Activism, Volunteering
Publisher: Lerner Publishing Group
Published: 2020-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

Coho salmon turn red and return to the exact river of their birth—in this case, the White River in Washington State—to spawn.

Gone Green

Going green—a term that has come to mean “environmentally friendly or conscious”—goes deeper in American culture than recycling and energy efficiency. Walk down the aisles of any store, and see evidence of a cultural shift. The labels of tuna cans bear dolphin-safe logos. A chip bag tells how the company offsets its carbon emissions. Labels say Natural, Organic, and BPA Free.

How a fish is caught, where a company sources its power, and the presence or absence of certain chemicals in packaging are all environmental issues—and these issues matter to people. So much so that companies advertise their environmental achievements on product packaging. Sometimes these efforts reflect an environmentally friendly corporate culture. Sometimes they are merely “greenwashing,” or making a product appear environmentally friendly even when the practices of the company are not.

Regardless of the real motivation, companies say that their products are safe or green because slowly, over these fifty years, consumers demanded it. For example, companies such as McDonald’s have shifted away from polystyrene, or Styrofoam, packaging in response to customer concerns. Xerox and other paper manufacturers have increased the recycled content in their products. Over the past five decades, product changes to meet demands for more environmentally friendly options have touched almost every product we buy.

The shift in our attitudes toward the environment doesn’t just show up on store shelves. Environmental concerns have popped up in music, books, and movies. Back in 1970, at the country’s most celebrated Earth Day bash in New York City, celebrities took the stage to fire up the crowd and publicize the cause. A year later, radio listeners could hear Joni Mitchell belting out “Big Yellow Taxi,” which bemoaned the loss of forests to urban sprawl. The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss, brought a message of environmental impact to children around the world. And in 1973, the movie Soylent Green painted a shocking picture of the results of overpopulation and unchecked pollution.

Concern for the environment continues to pervade all aspects of entertainment. Pixar’s film Wall-E debuted in 2008 with a chilling look at a future Earth literally “trashed” by humanity. Avengers: Infinity War (2018) features a character who will stop at nothing to prevent overconsumption. Musicians from all genres incorporate environmental themes in their music, from pop icon Michael Jackson’s “Earth Song” to country musician Brad Paisley’s “Gone Green.” The idea of humanity’s negative impact on Earth even pops up in popular book series, such as Percy Jackson and the Olympians, where the character Grover is committed to restoring the balance between humans and nature.

From April 22, 1970, to the present day, efforts to clean up the environment and lessen our impact on the planet touch every aspect of life. Thanks to the work of politicians, activists, and everyday people, many of the green parts of our daily lives go unnoticed. Unlike Earth Day, they aren’t carefully planned, special activities. Even

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.