When I was young, I always associated Earth Day with tie dye. That’s because every year, my school would gather giddy children in the gymnasium, and we would dye shirts with every color combination imaginable before going to our respective clean-up projects.
Earth Day, of course, is much more than tie dye. But this fond memory sparked a realization for me: Even though we all celebrate Earth Day in different ways, we still share the same goal of an Earth restored.
In anticipation of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, I asked some environmentally minded constituents to share their own stories. Together, they help capture a broader sense of the environmental movement since 1970.
Robert Schultz
FCNL advocate since 1982
“My recollections of the first Earth Day in April of 1970 include a feeling that I should be picking up gum wrappers and other debris along woodland trails—piddling stuff from the viewpoint of this spring’s 50th Earth Day.
“It’s no surprise to any of us elders that the ‘Earth’ in Earth Day is no longer the hospitable place it used to be—for us human beings, for the other animals, for plants. For those of us who trust the vast preponderance of credible climate scientists, we now know there are grave threats to life of all sorts, some in plain view before our eyes, others in prospect for the generations who will follow us.”
Joe Volk
Executive Secretary of FCNL from 1990-2011
“Earth Day reminds me of this story: In the 1990s, an engineer advised us that FCNL’s building had four to five years before it would be condemned. We got together a group of committee members interested in engineering or environmentalism and interviewed five architecture firms. Of those five, one had experience in green buildings.
“We knew we could not afford to make it a LEED certifiable building, so we requested that it be as green as possible. Despite our monetary restrictions, the building qualified as LEED certified with a silver rating. When the building reopened, a member of Congress made an impromptu visit to FCNL because he heard it was a ‘green building’ and wanted to know what that meant. I offered him a tour and he said he was hesitant because he disagreed with FCNL on everything. At that moment, I was even more willing to offer him a tour.
“The building serves as a reminder that advocacy is not always face to face. The building was its own persuasive advocacy tool. We know that once word got out what this little organization on the Hill had done, other renovation and building projects reimagined what they could do”
Emily Wirzba
FCNL’s Legislative Manager for Sustainable Energy and Environment from 2013-2020
“When I was at my parents’ house several weeks ago, I found some old poems and short reflections that I had written as a child, probably as an assignment to celebrate Earth Day. I was amazed at what I read. Even from a young age, I wrote that I wanted to be an environmentalist and help others be more sustainable. Little did I know that I would grow up to be a lobbyist working to advance climate change policies in Congress!
“From when I first started lobbying in 2013, I have seen such a shift in how climate change and environmental issues are elevated by both the public and our policymakers. While we still have a long ways to go, I get hope from the number of youth amplifying the need to take action, and the number of legislators from both political parties that are now willing to discuss climate solutions.”
Hannah Sievers
Spring Lobby Weekend attendee since 2017
“Recently, my housemates and I competed in a month long “Kill-A-Watt” challenge where undergraduate households competed to see which house could reduce the most amount of energy use. While we groaned about showering in the dark and washing dishes by hand, our house miraculously beat out all the others. It was a fun reminder of how much energy we waste daily and the simple ways we can take care of our Earth.
“And last month, I attended Spring Lobby Weekend to lobby on climate change. It was another way to take a stand in protecting and caring for our creation. I’m thankful for the opportunity to do so with over 500 young adults across the US.”
