Earth Day — 50+ years of power and protection
Surveyors know a lot more about the earth than most professions. Many people choose the profession because of the opportunity to get out and enjoy the great outdoors while earning a good living.
Saturday, April 22nd is Earth Day, a time to celebrate the beautiful planet we inhabit and take steps to keep it healthy.
How did Earth Day start?
Earth, as Seen by Astronauts Eugene Cernan, Ronald Evans and Harrison Schmidt from Apollo 17. , 1972. Washington, D.C.: Environmental Protection Agency, -12.
Back in 1969, Americans were just becoming aware of the problems of pollution in the environment – heightened by the publication of the bestseller Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, a well-known biologist and writer. The book focused on the damaging effects of the indiscriminate use of chemicals on the environment. In 1972, the first photos of the earth as a delicate blue marble hovering in space were captured from moon. These powerful images made, people aware that planet is a complete, harmonious entity, beautiful and fragile.
At the same time, a Wisconsin senator, Gaylord Nelson, was keenly aware of the need for a large-scale grassroots movement that could push the government to adopt policies that protected the environment. He announced the Earth Day concept, and people across the country supported this idea. On April 22, 1970, rallies were held in cities across the country – the first time Earth Day was commemorated.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Public opinion polls indicate that a permanent change in national priorities followed Earth Day 1970. When polled in May 1971, 25 percent of the U.S. public said that protecting the environment was an important goal, a 2,500 percent increase over 1969.” Earth Day kicked off the “Environmental decade with a bang,” as Senator Nelson later said [1].
During the 70s, important pieces of legislation were passed, including the Clean Air Act, the Water Quality Improvement Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act and the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act. Also in 1970, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)[2] and the EPA were created to protect human health and safeguard the natural environment.
NOAA
AUV Sentry first collects multibeam data to map the bathymetry of the seafloor, which helps scientists find features of interest such as the large mound seen here.
NOAA enriches life through science. Its reach goes from the surface of the sun to the depths of the ocean floor to keep the public informed about our physical environment. One of the functions of NOAA includes the mapping the oceans, coastlines and surface water of the United States. Surveying is a key part of this work, and NOAA provides detailed standards and specification for surveyors who have earned the Hydrographer Certification. Surveying is key to NOAA’s mission to gather data about our physical environment.
EPA
The EPA traces its roots back to the first American cities with rules that protected water supplies, thereby protecting citizens from cholera and other water-borne diseases [3]. Later, cartographer and president Theodore Roosevelt came to symbolize the campaign for conservation, which began to take hold with the public, especially with the push to create national parks – he doubled the number of parks during his term as president from 1901 to 1909 [4]. During and after his Administration, the use and retention of natural resources became a preoccupation of government.
Misty monoliths in Monument Valley in Colorado.
By the end of the 60s, the time was ripe for a unified approach to environmental protection. Just four months after his January 1969 inauguration, President Nixon established in his cabinet the Environmental Quality Council, as well as a complementary Citizens' Advisory Committee on Environmental QuaIity. Opponents denounced both as ceremonial and Nixon, ever sensitive to criticism, rose to the challenge. He had already asked Roy L. Ash, the founder of Litton Industries, to lead an Advisory Council on Executive Organization and submit recommendations for structural reform. In November, the President's Domestic Council instructed Ash to study whether all federal environmental activities should be unified in one agency. During meetings in spring 1970, Ash at first expressed a preference for a single department to oversee both environmental and natural resource management. But by April he had changed his mind; in a memorandum to the President he advocated a separate regulatory agency devoted solely to the pursuit of anti-pollution programs.[3]
It’s easy to point out the many problems that environmental regulation has caused, but on the other hand, these imperfect laws have indeed protected our environment. Acid rain is no longer destroying New England forests. Rivers no longer regularly catch on fire. Smog is greatly reduced. A 2011 EPA study estimated that since the enactment of the Clean Air Act amendments of 1990 alone, pollution reductions avoided 160,000 premature deaths; 130,000 heart attacks; and millions of cases of respiratory problems. [5]
Today, environmental concerns are increasingly important – a major 2021 study of 10,000 people across 17 countries show that sustainability is becoming increasingly important in consumers’ purchasing decisions. [6]
April 22nd is a day to join with other people all around the world to make changes that can help protect our planet – and celebrate the beauty of the natural world.
References:
1. https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/earth-day
2. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/earth-day.html
3. https://www.epa.gov/archive/epa/aboutepa/guardian-origins-epa.html
4. Theodore Roosevelt and the National Park System - Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
5. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/epa-environmental-protection-agency-smog-pollution/