Today marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. The daylong teach-in was founded by Wisconsin's former governor and senator, Gaylord Nelson, after whom our Institute for Environmental Studies was named.
We owe a great deal to Nelson and the others who helped write that chapter in history. Shortly after the first Earth Day, a series of environmental laws were passed, including the Clean Air Act and the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency. These laws have played an enormous part in ensuring the cleanliness of our air, water, and overall environment.
But 40 years later, we live in a new world with new problems. We're more urban, and there are far more of us. Americans, especially, are now more prosperous than ever. Poverty remains a persistent problem, but, as some have pointed out, nowadays most Americans are far more worried about eating too much rather than eating too little. Problems deemed ""environmental"" have become more global than local. Compared to the golden ages of the 1970s, environmentalism has had limited success in solving today's problems.
A new world requires a new narrative; it's time to rethink Earth Day. As one (in)famous essay declared in 2004, the ""Death of Environmentalism"" may have come to pass. Several years later, I'm pretty sure environmentalism hasn't been resuscitated.
I'm not trying to say that the label ""environmental"" has lost its meaning. It hasn't. The Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies grew out of UW-Madison's need to foster an intellectual community and unite the university around interdisciplinary study. The Nelson Institute stands as one of the best of its kind, and I, the author, am proud to be a part of it. It excels in various areas: from teaching and research, to training and outreach, such as this week's Earth Day at 40 Conference.
However, equally if not more important is what other people are doing for Earth Day. I'm talking about people outside the Nelson Institute. People outside UW-Madison. People outside the United States.
Let's not forget that environmentalism started as a movement. Decades later, that movement has become something very different: a collection of nongovernmental organizations plus a largely disconnected group of people who walk and talk ""green."" No longer a movement, environmentalism has become a special interest.
Earth Day itself has come to embody environmentalism's new form. In remembering my experience tabling at Earth Day last year, it is hard to forget the irony present in the giveaways that surrounded me––hot dogs (definitely not organic), bananas (not fair trade), soy chocolate milk cartons (not recyclable) and lip balm (this was at least organic). Discussion, education and community organization were notably absent. For most students, it was just another set of tables on Library Mall mixed with an unhealthy heaping of free food. No national, or even campuswide, teach-in took place, and for the next 364 days, students went about their business as usual.
How can Earth Day change for the better? First off, it should strive to include people who aren't already familiar with things like climate change, sustainable agriculture and biodiversity. This means truly reaching out to students both inside and outside the Nelson Institute. Sending out an e-mail or putting some tables and tents on Library Mall doesn't cut it. And as great as the Nelson Institute's Earth Day at 40 conference seemed, I wouldn't really know because, like a lot of other students, I couldn't go because I had class.
So here's an idea: Schedule a furlough day to coincide with Earth Day.
Then, create a campuswide teach-in event on campus (not on the other side of the Capitol). Entice students to come by offering free stuff, just don't make it hot dogs. How about beer? Students like beer... organic, local beer... in compostable cups! (Make it root beer for those under 21.) And for those seeking less carbonation, bring some fair trade coffee, too. And of course, people could grill out or bring food to share.
The food would mainly serve to encourage students to attend. In return for these delicious delights, part of the event could urge students to dedicate some of their free time to volunteering, community service and so on. Professors, staff and people from all around Madison would be encouraged to come, too. While making sure to avoid the classroom feel, professors could surely use their experience to help facilitate active discussions, lead workshops and guide debates.
Let's get people talking about what the earth is, what it means to us, and how we are in fact a part of it. It's time to seriously discuss what environmentalism has become and, in turn, create something new.
Stephen Collins is a graduate students studying public affairs. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
