Imagine companies dumping waste wherever they wanted.\u00a0 Imagine factories allowing black clouds of toxicity to spread like wild fire into the air we breathe.\u00a0 Now, after taking a moment to come back from those horrible thoughts, be relieved.\u00a0 Relieved that there was a man sensible enough to generate the idea of regulations to protect our environment.\u00a0 That man was Gaylord Nelson.<\/p>\n
Nelson was born on June fourth in the year 1916, in Clear Lake, WI.\u00a0 He attended the University of Wisconsin\u2019s Law program where he received his degree in 1942.\u00a0 Gaylord began his political career running on a progressive Republican platform for a position in the state legislature.\u00a0 Nelson lost his first race, but it was not enough to discourage him from trying again.<\/p>\n
The next time Nelson ran, he ran on the Democratic platform for a position in the Wisconsin State Senate.\u00a0 Gaylord Nelson served 10 years in this position until he became the governor of Wisconsin in 1958.\u00a0 Once Nelson became governor, he developed a program entitled the Outdoor Recreation Acquisition Program.\u00a0 The plan was to increase state-protected areas through a small tax on a pack of cigarettes.\u00a0 How small you ask?\u00a0 The tax consisted of a single cent being added to the total cost of a pack of smokes.\u00a0 Gaylord Nelson\u2019s tactics to support and encourage environmentalism didn\u2019t stop at a penny tax.<\/p>\n
Nelson is credited with the development of Earth Day.\u00a0 For those who don\u2019t know, Earth Day was founded in 1970 as a day to further educate citizens on environmental issues.\u00a0 Earth Day is a growing movement even known to extend so far as Earth Week.\u00a0 However, when the original Earth Day was held, it was Nelson who made it work.\u00a0 It was the 20 million demonstrators and thousands of schools that participated in the event.\u00a0 According to Nelson, \u201cEarth Day worked because of the spontaneous response at the grassroots level.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a brief summary, Earth Day was founded by Gaylord Nelson a Wisconsin State Senator and Governor.\u00a0 The movement wouldn\u2019t have worked if it hadn\u2019t been for the participants.\u00a0 This is a perfect example of how great ideas can spread like wild fires and ignite the minds of the people of the world.<\/p>\n
On campus, for Earth Week, there will be a Recyclable Fashion Show held in the Timmerman Auditorium in Hyland Hall at 4pm on Wednesday, April 24.\u00a0 Students will be designing outfits and accessories from recyclable materials and will then show them off on the runway.\u00a0 Make sure to come out and show your support and even join the movement that is Earth Week.<\/p>\n
Thank you for joining this week\u2019s Conservation Conversation!<\/p>\n
– Michael Jaworski<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Imagine companies dumping waste wherever they wanted.\u00a0 Imagine factories allowing black clouds of toxicity to spread like wild fire into the air we breathe.\u00a0 Now, after taking a moment to come back from those horrible thoughts, be relieved.\u00a0 Relieved that there was a man sensible enough to generate the idea of regulations to protect our … Continue reading The History of Earth Day<\/span>