#wegotgoals

I had a startling realization today: the tradition of Earth Month is actually not that much older than I am. According to the Smithsonian Magazine, Earth Month’s roots (pun intended) come from an environmental crisis. In 1969, a major oil spill along the Santa Barbara coastline led to roughly 3 million gallons of oil spreading across 35 miles. It’s hard to properly communicate the magnitude of this environmental disaster. But to those who saw it, they knew instantly it was a life-changing moment. In fact, in January 1970, The New York Times’ environment correspondent called it the “ecological ‘shot heard round the world.'”In the spring of 1970, Gaylord Nelson, a politician from Wisconsin, came up with “Earth Day,” as it’d later be called, as a national day of learning. Strategically set in April, around spring break and finals, Earth Day relied heavily on students and youth to lead the movement (so yes, Greta Thunberg has predecessors). Facing political pressure from the rise of environmental activism, Presid