Does Earth Day matter?

A long-term movement

By FRITZ MAYER

UPPER DELAWARE VALLEY — If you’re cynical, it’s easy to believe that Earth Day was created by a bunch of tree-huggers and hippies for the purpose of avoiding the usual chores of a given day. But just a little bit of research shows that the day, and more importantly the movement it represents, has had a lasting impact. And that impact can be seen locally.

It’s a bit ironic that the first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970, the same year that the Cortese Landfill opened in Narrowsburg. Today it would be nearly impossible to site a landfill so close to the Upper Delaware River or any other river, and also close to a population center, even a small one. But although regulations were much more lax back then, it was momentum from the growing environmental movement, at least in part, that prompted the state to began cracking down on landfills. The NY Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) discovered toxic waste at the site, and shut it down in 1981.

The environmental movement is also one reason that Sullivan County officials are now seemingly on the verge of dropping the six-year quest for an expansion of the landfill in Monticello. People who live near the site, or own summer homes near the site, have led a protracted legal battle against the expansion, in what they see as an effort to protect their health and the value of their homes. They have been aided in that fight by a growing public awareness that dumping garbage into the ground is not the right thing to do. Moreover, the DEC, the agency that issues landfill permits, is increasingly urging communities to take the “green” options regarding garbage whenever possible. Green, in this case, means much more recycling and much less garbage going into the ground.

The influence of the environmental movement is also the reason there are extensive recycling programs in Sullivan, Delaware and Orange counties in New York and Wayne and Pike counties in Pennsylvania, and most counties in the country. Recycling programs were virtually unheard of in 1970.

Of course, the entire modern environmental movement did not spring forth fully-formed on a single day, April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day. It had been gradually building for years. But 1970 was ripe with advancements in the arena of conservation.

In July 1970, President Richard Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Nixon wrote in a letter to congress at the time to say that the need for the new agency was strong. He wrote, “Our national government today is not structured to make a coordinated attack on the pollutants which debase the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the land that grows our food.” And thus the EPA was born to battle pollutants. Nixon, of course, is not normally remembered as a great environmental leader, but compared to some presidents that followed, he was nothing less than an environmental visionary.

Also in 1970, in New York the DEC came into being. The start of the agency is described on the its web site, “DEC opened its doors on July 1, 1970, and immediately began to wrestle with the urgent problems of the day—such as pesticides, mercury pollution, solid waste, and recreational access...”

In Pennsylvania in 1970, lawmakers were working toward the passage of an Environmental Rights Amendment, which read in part, “The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment.” Voters passed the amendment by a four to one margin in May 1971.

These developments were the result of the “people power” of the day. The people let their lawmakers know that they wanted serious protections of the environment put into place. Part of that message was sent through the actions of the nearly 20 million Americans who participated in the first Earth Day events 39 years ago.

Today, many people have come to see environmental protections as a right. Therefore, when the executive branch in Washington, DC decides that gas-drillers are not bound by some of our most important national environmental laws, laws that sprang from the first Earth Day, some people become concerned.

When officials in Harrisburg, PA and Albany, NY express the view that the duties of the agencies responsible for protecting the environment should include helping the gas industry more easily obtain drilling permits, some wonder if our leaders are planning to give environmental protections a backseat to commerce.

The struggle between industry and the natural world has been going on for a long time. When the first clean stream law was introduced in Pennsylvania in 1905, the coal companies were exempted, but politicians were convinced to bring the coal companies under the umbrella of the stream laws by the ‘60s.

By recognizing Earth Day, people remind their lawmakers at the local, state and federal levels, that many now believe that no companies should be exempt from environmental laws, that the environment and the natural world are important, and they should be protected for this generation and for those to come.

Earth Day Celebrations

Lumberland

GLEN SPEY, NY — The Lumberland Environmental Council will present a variety of displays and events for children in a celebration of Earth Day on Saturday, April 26 at the Town Hall Pavilion on Proctor Road and Circle Park. There will be rock painting, face painting, sheriff’s department demonstrations, seed planting, an animal show, Smokey the Bear and more. The Mackenzie school’s young scientists will have exhibits about the rain forest on display and there will be an egg hunt in Circle Park. The Fire Department will have hot dogs for sale. 845/856-7989.

Pike-Wayne Earth Day Festival

HAWLEY, PA — PPL’s Wallenpaupack Environmental Learning Center will host local conservation groups in the Pike-Wayne Earth Day Festival on Saturday, April 18 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Visitors can test out a kayak on Lake Wallenpaupack, go on a bird walk, make a watershed sundae or watch a puppet show. Information from a variety of organizations will be available. The event is free and will be held rain or shine. The event is sponsored by the Earth Day Planning Committee, consisting of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Promised Land State Park, the Delaware Highlands Conservancy, Lacawac Sanctuary, the Lake Wallenpaupack Watershed Management District, Nathaniel Whitmore, the National Park Service Upper Delaware, the Northeast PA Audubon Society, the Pike County Conservation District, PPL and Wayne County Master Gardeners. www.pikewayneearthday.org.

PEEC Earth Day Celebration

DINGMANS FERRY, PA — The Pocono Environmental Education Center will host an Earth Day celebration on Sunday, April 19 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The event will feature learning stations, electronics recycling (see page 12), home improvements, crafts, food, birding and other activities. There will be introductions to canoeing and kayaking for families. Pre-registration is not required. www.peec.org or 570/828-2319.

Earth Day at the

Government Center

MONTICELLO, NY — An Earth Day event will take place on Wednesday, April 22 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the lobby of the Sullivan County Government Center.

Local government and community organizations will be on hand to discuss land conservation tools, litter and stream clean ups, recycling, the importance of shopping local, Sullivan County agriculture, sustainable living, renewable energy, wetlands, wildlife habitat and the economic benefits of conserving the environment for Sullivan County.

Attendees will also learn how to get involved with the many local organizations through volunteer participation and membership. The Delaware Highlands Conservancy’s documentary “Nature’s Keepers” will be shown from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. in the lobby.

For more information visit nyland@delawarehighlands.org or call 845/807-0535.