The first Earth Day, held April 22, 1970, started an effort that is still moving forward. The United States created the Environmental Protection Agency later that year, which led to legislation requiring cleaner air and water.
The first Earth Day, held April 22, 1970, started an effort that is still moving forward. The United States created the Environmental Protection Agency later that year, which led to legislation requiring cleaner air and water.
Water quality
By 1970, Lake Erie was so polluted it was declared “dead.” In 1969, Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River – polluted with oil and industrial waste – burst into flames. Today, water treatment plants keep sewage from flowing directly into rivers. Still, water pollution worldwide has increased since the 1970s. And the problem goes beyond quality: Water scarcity affects one-third of the total world population.
Ocean conditions
Of the 100 million tons of plastic produced each year, about 10 percent ends up in the ocean. A United Nations study estimates about 46,000 pieces of plastic litter are floating in every square mile of ocean water. That includes the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a floating mass of trash – mostly plastic – that is estimated to be twice the size of Texas. For the past 50 years, it’s been collecting in two Pacific gyres, vast areas of swirling water. Scientists say cleanup would be a task that’s already too large.
Land use
On the first Earth Day, concern about land use wasn’t a priority. Throughout the 1960s, a desire to preserve green spaces was classified as “conservation.” But in the past few decades, we’ve recognized that it’s crucial to pay attention to land use, from agriculture to urban landscapes.
Development
Land is converted for development at twice the rate of population growth. Most of that is for “sprawl” development – roads, shops and houses in suburban and rural areas.
Forests
A swath of forest the size of Panama is lost every year, and the loss of forests produces about 20 percent of all manmade carbon dioxide emissions. One-fifth of the Amazon has been already lost. Scientists predict that it’ll keep disappearing, thanks to illegal logging and the practice of clearing the land to make room for farms.
Air quality
Air quality was a visible problem by 1970. But dirty air wasn’t just an American problem. In August 1970, smog sent more than 8,000 Tokyo residents to the hospital in five days. A strengthened Clean Air Act was one of the changes the first Earth Day brought about. Air quality has improved nationwide, but a number of cities still don’t meet government standards.
Legislation
The Clean Air Act set standards for air quality and auto emissions. But those standards proved too high for the auto industry to meet. In 1990 the Clean Air Act was updated, with tougher emissions standards. In 2008, the EPA announced it would tighten smog standards, predicting that 345 counties in the United States wouldn’t pass the test.
China has overtaken the United States as the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. Beijing, the site of the 2008 Summer Games, is so polluted that athletes were concerned for their health.
Waste, landfills
By 1970, Americans were discarding 7 million cars, 100 million tires, 20 million tons of paper and 48 billion cans every year. Today, Americans recycle about five times more than in 1970. Landfills are fewer, though also much larger.
Recycling
The first recycling center was opened in New York City at the end of the 19th century. Recycling re-emerged in the 1960s, but most local governments didn’t start recycling programs until the early ’90s. Now there are more than 8,000 curbside recycling programs in the United States – even so, only about 32 percent of waste is diverted from landfills.
Hazardous waste
In 1980, Congress approved the Superfund, a temporary program designed to clean up hazardous waste. It was amended in 1986 and continues today. About 70 percent of the cost of cleanup is paid by the responsible parties.
Energy, transport
That first Earth Day, pollution was a bigger concern than energy. U.S. oil production peaked that year, and efficiency wasn’t a priority. Today, Americans use more energy than ever. But we’re also learning new, cleaner ways to generate it. Renewable energy is the smallest portion of energy sources – only 6 percent – but it’s also the fastest-growing sector. We also have more fuel-efficient cars, homes and appliances.
Technology
In 1975, new cars were made with catalytic converters, which cut hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions by 96 percent and nitrogen oxides by 75 percent. Today’s new cars pollute about 90 percent less than their 1970s counterparts.
Renewable energy
Texas leads the nation in wind power development, with an installed production capacity of 4,446 megawatts.
