Why Earth Day matters

There’s a new movement in the country to get rid of Earth Day , that it is no longer necessary. Our beloved Grist even started “Screw Earth Day.” What Gaylord Nelson began as a groundswell of sit ins, be ins, and do ins, in 1970, has devolved into a Hallmark holiday. Critics say it’s a “victim of its own success,” co-opted by style over substance marketing, greenwashing, and feel good gestures that don’t create any meaningful change.

In 2007, Alex Steffen and Sarah Rich from worldchanging.com wrote that Earth Day celebration should have been the last . The timing was right, they argued, and concluded, “what we need is a dramatic break with the past. Earth Day accomplished its mission; the environment is now near the top of the global agenda. By making this Earth Day our last, we can signal that the time for mere awareness is over, and the time for real transformation has arrived.” Recycling, keeping tires inflated, carpool lanes, bicycling, LED lights are essentially useless in the grand scheme of things.

(Image of Earth Day Spokane sponsors.)

Steffen’s heart was in the right place. Assuming 9 billion people inherit the Earth by 2020, and with the immediacy of climate change from the IPCC report , we need to raise the old standards to meet new challenges. Now. But to say Earth Day is bad for the environment is ridiculously counterproductive. The notion that everybody will immediately transform to a new way of thinking, a heightened eco-consciousness by disregarding Earth Day is weirdly naïve and quaint. Real transformation begins with acknowledging consumer spending makes up 70 percent of America’s economy. Knee jerk symbolism only goes so far. As Michael Pollan once said, “The Big Problem” is still the sum total of countless little everyday choices.

Meaningful environmental change begins with personal responsibility, leading by example, and becoming involved in the decision making process for regulatory policies like transportation and land use. In that sense and in reference to Pollan, everyday should be Earth Day but outside the country, and throughout transitional American towns like Spokane, a celebration is absolutely critical, a time for connectivity amongst a variety of community organizations; a time to educate.

At home, there has been a buzz all month with more events than we can count. Hopefully, readers will make it to Riverfront Park, this Sunday for the annual celebration. You’ll learn about Spokane River water quality and mining cleanups; testing for lead contamination in northeast Spokane; endangered grizzlies in the Selkirk’s; sustainable farming and organic products. You’ll meet community organizations like the Faith and Environmental network and S.N.A.P. that teach low-income residents conservation tips and natural landscaping with water-smart indigenous plants. (Check out the Earth Day Spokane website for more info.)

Also, around the globe, Earth Day Networks estimates 500 million people from 4,500 organizations in 180 countries will participate in Earth Day events during the month of April.

So Steffen and others shouldn’t undermine the importance of awareness, no matter how fundamental in their opinions. That’s cynicism. In fact, we believe Earth Day is more needed than ever.