In the late 1960s, scientists, governments, and citizens were becoming more concerned about the impacts of 150 years of industrial growth. Concerns grew over devastating industrial disasters like the Santa Barbara oil spill of 1969, polluted waterways, smoggy skies, and growing evidence of pollution’s negative effect on health. In response, Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson partnered with young activist Dennis Hayes to create and promote the first national Earth Day celebration on April  22, 1970. 

With Earth Day, Nelson and Hayes’ wanted to increase public awareness of environmental problems, and to harness the power of student-led movements in order to enact change. Twenty million Americans marched in the streets on that first Earth Day demonstration in 1970. Hayes chose the date April 22 because of its timeliness for students being a weekday after spring break. He hoped it would maximize participation.

Various activist groups, leaders of industry, and a bipartisan coalition of legislators united around the Earth Day cause. This ultimately led to the passage of the Environmental Protection Act of 1970, which created the first federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 

Earth Day Now

Earth Day is not a U.S. national holiday, but is celebrated annually in Washington D.C., and in cities big and small worldwide. The Earth Day 50th Anniversary celebration in 2020 was held online due to COVID-19, but still saw over 1 billion unique visitors, according to earthday.org.

The Reno Earth Day event, held over the weekend in Idlewild Park, was free to the public and had a festive, craft fair atmosphere with food trucks, bounce houses, and live bands. Environmental organizations, craft vendors, politicians, and local media greeted visitors with information and games from booths lining the lanes and meadows of the sprawling city park. 

Critics of Earth Day, including co-founder Dennis Hayes, say that the movement has been co-opted by corporations who use the holiday for greenwashing. This occurs when brands promote themselves as environmentally conscious, despite taking little action to reduce emissions and waste. Other Earth Day detractors point to the consumerism of the festivals and how as a byproduct they generate large amounts of trash and carbon emissions. 

Throughout the decades, Earth Day has been part of the greater environmental political movement which has lobbied and fought hard for regulations that limit harmful pollution and hold industry accountable for environmental damage. Now the movement is largely focused on combating climate change and mitigating the impact of increasingly severe weather events. 

What is Being Done Locally

The City of Reno, like state and local governments nationwide, has a Sustainability and Climate Action Plan, which outlines the unique threats we face from climate change in Northern Nevada. Also included in the action plan are the city’s goals for sustainability and mitigation. For now, the 166-page document is only available in English. 

Local and national organizations like the Latino Climate Justice Network, Nevada Environmental Justice Coalition, the Sierra Nevada Alliance, and the Climateers Network of Northern Nevada work year round to address environmental issues. They address these issues through education, outreach, lobbying, organizing, community-building, and political action. 

Shortly after Earth Day in 2023, the Nevada Senate passed SB427, a bill pushed by the Nevada Environmental Justice Coalition. The law would provide workers with water and shade as well as mandatory programs to mitigate heat illness for vulnerable outdoor workers. The bill needs to pass in the State Assembly and be signed by the Governor to become law. 

There are currently no federal standards in place to protect workers from extreme heat and other dangers driven by climate change. 

Latinos and the Environmental Movement

Latinos have always been a part of the intersecting movements for social and environmental justice. A survey published in 2021 by the Pew Research Center found that nearly 75% of U.S. Latinos are concerned about climate change, and think the government should take more action on climate change. 

According to the survey, Hispanic/Latinos not only believe in man-made climate change at higher rates than non-hispanics, but also are more willing to make changes in their lives to help address the problems of waste and overconsumption. 76% of Latinos reported using less single-use plastic and reducing their water use based on environmental concerns. 

Data from the Environmental Defense Fund found that 85% of U.S. Latinos think that more needs to be done to reduce smog and air pollution. This underscores the fact that the Latino population is more exposed to the adverse health and economic effects of environmental damage due to climate change. 

The Latino Climate Justice Framework is an initiative by the Green Latinos community of coalitions, networks and leaders in the environmental movement. Their website includes a guide, published bilingually, which serves as a blueprint for building environmental advocacy and organizations in local Latino/a/x communities across the country. 

What One Person Can Do for the Environment

Not everyone has time to join formal organizations and donate their time to legislative campaigns, river clean-ups, and protests. Nor is the average person capable of solving the problems of pollution and climate change alone, without strong governmental oversight and big industrial overhauls. 

What one person can do is reduce the amount of energy and resources they consume, and reduce the amount of waste they create. Several people together can build communities that reduce waste and consumption by sharing resources and responsibilities, while working together to care for the local environment. 

Much of what one person can do to honor Mother Earth we learn from the wisdom of our elders from previous generations who grew up getting by with less. 

It’s not too late to also get involved with some of UNR’s Earth Day celebrations. Come Pedal with the Pack or participate in the Thrift Swap event at the Joe:

• The Joe Crowley Student Union (JCSU) Thrift Swap on Wednesday, April 24, from Noon to 3 p.m. at JCSU Gateway Plaza. Bring along gently-used clothing to participate in this swap event.

• Pedal with the Pack on Friday, April 26, from 3:15 to 6 p.m. starting at the JCSU Gateway Plaza. This event brings new and experienced Wolf Pack bike riders together for a fun social ride from the University’s main campus to Mayberry Landing and back. The University Bicycle Working Group will lead the ride at a relaxed pace and can assist with maintenance issues along the way. Participants must RSVP for Pedal with the Pack for Earth Month and are required to bring their own bike and helmet.