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91-636: In 2015, Nathalie Manzano and Ted Caplow of CappSci won the Knight Cities Challenge grant competition from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation with a proposal to build the Miami Science Barge. The Barge was a 120x30 steel construction barge from Grady Marine retrofitted with 2nd-hand shipping containers in 2015. With the generosity of Beau Payne of P & L Towing, the staff of CappSci were able to design and build

182-553: A National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship . Caplow’s thesis at Princeton was an extended design modeling and optimization project for a solar thermal “power tower” that explored the feasibility of employing gas turbines in these designs. Caplow completed his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering in 2004 at Columbia University , where he was influenced by Peter Schlosser, Vijay Modi, Klaus Lackner , and Upmanu Lall , among others. Caplow’s dissertation concerned

273-443: A solar dance floor and a solar tracking system . Power is stored into two sets of batteries: lead-acid batteries , and experimental Aquion M-Line battery modules . The panels provide about 75Kwh. It is also off-pipe , meaning that all of its fresh water comes from a rainwater catchment system located about the classroom area. The water is stored in a 900-gallon cistern. The salt water comes directly from Biscayne Bay . No discharge

364-408: A 10-minute visit with Senator Nelson (which stretched into two hours). Hayes returned to Harvard with the charter to organize Boston. After a few days of reference checks, he was asked to drop out of Harvard to become executive director of the national campaign. Because of the non-hierarchical tenor of the times, Hayes suggested that people be designated coordinators rather than directors. He became

455-542: A Bachelor of Arts in Sociology in 1992. Following college, Caplow, together with his father and other family members, sailed a 47 foot boat from NYC to Cyprus, stimulating his interest in engineering. He received an M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1998 from Princeton University , where his interest in renewable energy was fostered by Robert H. Socolow and Daniel Kammen and where he received

546-410: A day reviewing the letters Senator Nelson had received, and discovered that very few were from college students. Most were from women who appeared to be college-educated homemakers who wanted to do something to improve the world for their children. Another large share was from K–12 teachers. Hayes decided to shift the campaign's focus from colleges and universities to community organizing. Building off

637-447: A far-reaching decision. In those early days, it would have been easy to obtain trademark protection for Earth Day and force compliance with a set of standards by anyone using it. Hayes decided, however, that he wanted the name to be broadly used by anyone who planned to focus on environmental issues that spring. Although "Earth Day" swiftly replaced Environmental Teach-in, the second problem proved more complicated. College activists, for

728-535: A grassroots approach to organizing and relied largely on locally based groups like the National Toxics Campaign, a Boston-based coalition of 1,000 local groups concerned with industrial pollution. Earth Day 1990 employed strategies including focus group testing, direct mail fundraising, and email marketing. The Earth Day 20 Foundation highlighted its April 22 activities in George, Washington , near

819-518: A key requirement for the entry into force of the historic draft climate protection treaty adopted by consensus of the 195 nations present at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris. Numerous communities engaged in Earth Day Week actions , an entire week of activities focused on the environmental issues that the world faces. On Earth Day 2020, over 100 million people around

910-458: A national teach-in is held." Senator Nelson went on to encourage teach-ins at many more speeches. A November talk at Airlie House had a New York Times reporter in the audience. The resulting front-page article was a turning point. Letters of inquiry from across the country began to pour into Nelson's Senate office. The article piqued the interest of Denis Hayes, then a graduate student at Harvard. Hayes traveled to Washington, D.C., and arranged

1001-484: A new organization, Environmental Action, with a tax status that permitted lobbying and a more activist stance. EA immediately confronted a problem that had been looming in the background throughout the campaign. Some of the staff had been drawn to the movement through science and culture and felt that politics was inherently dirty and government was irredeemably compromised. This group believed that by living lives of voluntary simplicity, employing tools like those that filled

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1092-491: A novel, openly accessible online application. Dr. Anita Zaidi was announced the winner of the 2013 Children’s Prize on December 10, 2013 for her program in Rehri Goth , Pakistan. The Children’s Prize launched its eighth iteration in 2022 and has funded children's health initiatives in 10 countries around the world. As part of his company Fish Navy Films, Ted Caplow has written, produced, edited, narrated and appeared in

1183-655: A period of several months with Congressman Pete McCloskey (R-CA) to consult on the creation of the National Environmental Policy Act , the first of many new environmental protection laws sparked by the national outcry about the blowout/oil spill and on the Declaration of Environmental Rights. Both McCloskey (Earth Day co-chair with Senator Gaylord Nelson ) and Earth Day organizer Denis Hayes , along with Senator Alan Cranston , Paul Ehrlich , David Brower and other prominent leaders, endorsed

1274-633: A period of substantial environmental legislation, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, Superfund, Toxics Substances Control Act, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. It had seen the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and the banning of DDT and of lead in gasoline. Jimmy Carter was president. The 1980 Earth Day effort

1365-489: A progressive wedge issue that would position him as clearly distinct from President Nixon's ultra-conservative "Southern Strategy," in a struggle for the soul of the Republican Party. He became fully engaged in supporting the event, and he delegated many of the talented young staff who had been drawn to his administration to help as well. "The big break came when Mayor Lindsay agreed to shut down Fifth Avenue for

1456-509: A reaction to this disaster, activists were mobilized to create environmental regulation, environmental education, and Earth Day. Among the proponents of Earth Day were the people in the front lines of fighting this disaster, Selma Rubin , Marc McGinnes , and Bud Bottoms, founder of Get Oil Out. Denis Hayes , organizer of the first Earth Day, said that Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin was inspired to create Earth Day upon seeing an 800-square-mile (2,100 km ) oil slick from an airplane in

1547-444: A series of documentary films on sustainable seafood. Films produced by Fish Navy Films include Fish Meat (2012), Raising Shrimp (2013) , and What We Fish For (2015). Caplow’s primary scientific collaborator in all three films has been fish ecologist Andy J. Danylchuk. Earth Day Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection . First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes

1638-499: A vehicle. Teach-ins had been held on hundreds of college campuses to debate the war in Vietnam . They generally reflected the divide between those who thought of Vietnam as a bulwark to stop additional countries falling to communism like dominos , versus those who believed that the war was the latest stage of a nationalist, anti-colonialist campaign by Vietnamese who had fought against China, then France, Japan, France again, and now

1729-540: A wide range of events coordinated globally by EARTHDAY.ORG (formerly Earth Day Network) including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries. In 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco , peace activist John McConnell proposed a day to honor the Earth and the concept of peace, to first be observed on March 21, 1970, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. This day of nature's equipoise

1820-525: Is best known for conceiving and developing the Science Barge urban farm in 2006. The Science Barge functions as both an experimental platform for closed-loop high-efficiency food production using renewable energy and an educational tool to improve opportunities for hands-on “experiential” STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) learning for inner city students. In 2009, the Science Barge

1911-506: Is released from the Barge. Waste water is collected in constructed wetland troughs where the water is filtered or in some cases may evaporate. Furthermore, the Barge aimed to utilize only sustainable material in construction, i.e. the Kebony deck throughout the farm area. Kebony is an eco-friendly alternative to tropical hardwoods, using a bio-based seal instead of a synthetic one. The staff on

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2002-462: The Columbia River with a live satellite phone call with members of the historic Earth Day 20 International Peace Climb who called from their base camp on Mount Everest to pledge their support for world peace and attention to environmental issues. The Earth Day 20 International Peace Climb was led by Jim Whittaker , the first American to summit Mt. Everest (many years earlier), and marked

2093-482: The Hot Country Songs chart dated May 5, 1990. As the millennium approached, Hayes agreed to spearhead another campaign, this time focusing on global warming and pushing for clean energy . The April 22 Earth Day in 2000 combined the big-picture feistiness of the first Earth Day with the international grassroots activism of Earth Day 1990. For 2000, Earth Day had the internet to help link activists around

2184-700: The Hudson River Estuary, in addition to articles on Building-integrated agriculture . Theodore Caplow (birth name: Theodore Caplow, Jr.) was born in New York City in 1969 to Anne Christine Allen and Theodore Caplow. His father was a well-known American sociologist and author of over 20 books in the social sciences. Caplow grew up in central Virginia and attended Groton School in Massachusetts. He entered Harvard University intending to major in physics but graduated cum laude with

2275-559: The Philip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science in Miami FL. The winning technologies focused on coral reef restoration and airborne carcinogen detection, respectively. The winning scientific teams worked in public-facing labs and interacted with museum guests, discussing why their work matters, what kind of progress they’ve made, and what hurdles lie ahead. The laser project later transitioned to Ransom Everglades School . Theodore Caplow

2366-491: The Science Barge in Yonkers, New York (NY). Caplow has also patented a Vertically Integrated Greenhouse. Caplow subsequently co-founded Caplow|Manzano in 2017 with Nathalie Manzano to pursue innovations in resilient housing design and sustainable building technology. As an academic, Caplow holds a Ph.D. in engineering from Columbia University and has published a series of peer-reviewed articles on water contaminant dynamics in

2457-819: The Sun Works Center at PS 333 , the first full-scale rooftop greenhouse completed in 2010 as part of a NY Sun Works campaign to build 100 school greenhouses in NYC between 2010 and 2020. The campaign succeeded after the greenhouse educational system was expanded to include conversion of existing classrooms into hydroponic laboratories. As of 2022, NY Sun Works has built and operated over 200 greenhouse labs, mostly in New York City public schools, trained 700 teachers, and created over 800 curriculum lessons for use in these greenhouse labs. From 2008 to 2011, through design consultancy BrightFarm Systems, Caplow contributed to

2548-661: The 3rd Wednesday of every month for Sip of Science to promote the conservation of the environment. The Miami Science Barge opened on Earth Day , April 22, 2016 and was attended by dignitary speakers including City of Miami Commissioner Frank Carollo , who in his remarks called the Barge "a symbol of Miami's diversity not only in people, but in ideas, as well as, a symbol of our community's commitment to environmental education," Miami Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, Knight Foundation’s Miami Program Director Matt Haggman, and Children Trust’s Founding Board Chair David Lawrence, Jr. In December 2016, Miami Science Barge

2639-534: The Barge also follow strict habits of sustainability, including prohibiting single-use plastics from being used on board for events and by diligently cleaning debris found in the notch. On board are a variety of sustainable and unconventional agriculture systems including hydroponics , aeroponics , aquaculture, and aquaponics. Hydroponics and aeroponics are forms of growing produce that utilizes water and nutrients most efficiently. Aquaculture systems grow fish and other marine creature for consumption so as not to harm

2730-535: The Declaration and spoke about it at the Environmental Rights Day conference. According to Francis Sarguis, "the conference was sort of like the baptism for the movement." According to Hayes, this was the first giant crowd he spoke to that "felt passionately, I mean really passionately, about environmental issues." Hayes also thought the conference might be the beginning of a real movement. Nash, Garrett Hardin , McGinnes and others went on to develop

2821-707: The Earth Day Ad providing the donor's name and address. Larry Rockefeller persuaded Robert Rauschenberg to create and donate a batch of Earth Day lithographs, but the Earth Day staff lacked contacts in the art world who were able to sell them for their $ 2,000 market value, so they were provided to donors for much less. The sale of standard posters and especially pins brought in additional revenue. The staff refused to sell bumper strips because they would be attached to cars. The staff of Environmental Teach-In resigned immediately after Earth Day, and most moved directly to

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2912-723: The Environmental Action newsletter emphasized the need for broad structural change, interest in the event began to mount among college student activists. One place where the interest in a teach-in was robust from the beginning was the University of Michigan . The first teach-in on the Vietnam War had been held at the University of Michigan in March 1965, and a group of students, led by Doug Scott, decided to mark

3003-517: The House, the odds were long. To improve the odds, the group selected candidates who not only had lousy environmental records—which were plentiful—but who also had won their most recent race by a narrow margin; who were on the wrong side of an important environmental issue in their districts; and who lived in areas where talented Earth Day organizers resided. In the end, seven of the original Dirty Dozen were defeated—five Republicans and two Democrats. And

3094-601: The National Science Teachers Association to enlist their members; he provided materials to thousands of educators who wrote to the group directly; and he distributed the most creative ideas he received from anyone to everyone else. In April, more than 10,000 primary and secondary schools engaged in Earth Day activities, mostly education and service actions like beach clean-ups, tree planting, and recycling. Walt Kelly created an anti-pollution poster featuring his comic strip character Pogo with

3185-533: The Robert Kennedy, Gene McCarthy, and various congressional campaigns before Earth Day. They believed that lasting progress could only come through institutional change. The year 1970 was a congressional election year. They had just organized the largest demonstration in the nation's history to support environmental values. Former Lindsay organizer, Steve Haft, summed up this faction's attitude at an Environmental Action staff meeting, "We had 20 million people in

3276-514: The Santa Barbara Channel. On the first anniversary of the oil blowout, January 28, 1970, Environmental Rights Day was created, and the Declaration of Environmental Rights was read. It had been written by Rod Nash during a boat trip across the Santa Barbara Channel while carrying a copy of Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence. The organizers of Environmental Rights Day, led by Marc McGinnes , had been working closely over

3367-484: The Science Barge moved to Yonkers, NY where it continues to host educational tours for school children during the week and is open for public visitation on the weekends. Over the years, the Science Barge has received a significant amount of national and international press including articles from National Geographic and the New York Times. In March 2015, a team led by Nathalie Manzano and including Caplow won

3458-534: The UAW also funded telephone capabilities so that the organizers could communicate and coordinate with each other from all across the United States. The UAW also financed, printed, and mailed all of the literature and other materials for the first Earth Day and mobilized its members to participate in the public demonstrations across the country. According to Denis Hayes, "The UAW was by far the largest contributor to

3549-574: The United Auto Workers (UAW) since 1946, and he was a progressive supporter of civil rights, opposed the war, and championed the environment. He was a founding member of the Coalition for Clean Air, which successfully lobbied for the Clean Air Act of 1970. Walter Reuther, president of the United Auto Workers, made the first donation to support the first Earth Day in the amount of $ 2,000 (equivalent to $ 15,692 in 2023). Under his leadership,

3640-404: The United States. These debates elevated arguments over the war in the public consciousness and enlisted a generation of student activists. Nelson asked public interest lawyer Anthony Roisman to establish a non-profit, Environmental Teach-In, Inc., to manage the campaign, and recruited a small board of directors. He asked Republican Congressman Pete McCloskey to co-chair the board to ensure it

3731-705: The VIG on the Science Barge (2008), at PS 333 in Manhattan (2010), and at PS 89 in Brooklyn (2011), and Caplow built an improved VIG at the Miami Museum of Science (2012) and on the Miami Science Barge (2016) but the design has yet to see commercial use. Caplow founded New York Sun Works in 2004 and chairs the not-for-profit's board of directors. Caplow was closely involved in the development of

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3822-406: The announcement of "Ecology Day," "Environment Day," "Earth Day," and "E Day." Koenig said that his personal favorite was Earth Day – in part because April 22 happened to be his birthday, and "birthday" rhymes with "Earth Day." Hayes immediately agreed. Koenig offered to prepare a fully refined ad. Hayes insisted that it include a small coupon soliciting funds for the threadbare operation. Koenig's ad

3913-419: The balance in the ocean and aquaponics is a combination of aquaculture and aquaponics, where marine life produce waste which is consumed by plants. On board is also a vertically integrated greenhouse (patented by Caplow and Zak W. Adams). Along with the aquaponic and aquaculture tanks, there are multiple tanks showcasing marine life. Towards the entrance of the Barge, there is a coral tank, developed with

4004-484: The best local leadership in major metropolitan areas. For instance, Hayes flew to Chicago to help organize a subtle coup, replacing a pro-business Earth Day organization with a Saul Alinsky affiliated group called Campaign Against Pollution. CAP abruptly shifted the focus away from recycling to focus on two issues: opposition to a massive proposed freeway program, the Crosstown Expressway , and protesting

4095-600: The best possible anchor for national coverage from their reporters throughout the country. U.S. Senator Edmund Muskie was the keynote speaker on Earth Day in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia. Other notable attendees included consumer protection activist and presidential candidate Ralph Nader , landscape architect Ian McHarg , Nobel prize-winning Harvard biochemist George Wald , U.S. Senate Minority Leader Hugh Scott , and poet Allen Ginsberg . The 1970s were

4186-406: The concept of "teach-ins" had become passé. Moreover, teach-ins generally involved debates, and no one was pro-pollution. Second, and more troubling, leading activists on college campuses were deeply involved in the anti-war and civil rights movements. They tended to view the environment as a distraction. The solution to the first problem came from an unexpected direction. Shortly after the turn of

4277-770: The design of a 10,000 sq ft. greenhouse built on top of the Forest Houses apartment complex in South Bronx, NY, an in-store hydroponic greenhouse constructed at Whole Foods Market in Millburn, NJ, and a rooftop greenhouse at P.S. 89 in Brooklyn, NY. Many other design studies in Building-integrated Agriculture (a term Caplow coined in 2007) were executed for clients around the world. Prominent architectural and engineering firms who collaborated on design studies with BrightFarms while Caplow led

4368-559: The domestic production of seafood. The Miami Science Barge was destroyed by Hurricane Irma in 2017. Caplow invented the Vertically Integrated Greenhouse (VIG) with Zakery Ward Adams. The invention is listed as Patent US20090307973 and was published in December 2009. The VIG consists of vertically stacked plant trays that can be moved to maximize plant light capture and shade as necessary. In addition to

4459-440: The end, the national staff had a hard time merely keeping up with the colleges that called to register events. The delicate line straddled by organizers was to attract seasoned activists who would demand far-reaching change without alienating the middle class whose active participation and political support were seen as essential. The greatest environmental insults were visited on the poor. Factories and power plants were located in

4550-509: The event beyond the original idea for a teach-in to include the entire United States. Key non-environmentally focused partners played major roles. Under the leadership of labor leader Walter Reuther , for example, the United Auto Workers (UAW) was the most instrumental outside financial and operational supporter of the first Earth Day. According to Hayes: "Without the UAW, the first Earth Day would have likely flopped!" Nelson

4641-625: The event. A giant cheer went up in the office on that day," according to Kristin Hubbard (now Kristin Alexandre ). "From that time on we used Mayor Lindsay's offices and even his staff. I was Speaker Coordinator but had tremendous help from Lindsay staffer Judith Crichton." Mayor Lindsay completely closed down Fifth Avenue to traffic from E. 14th Street to West 59th Street (Central Park)—more than 2 miles—and 14th Street between 3rd and 7th Avenues. An estimated one million participants took part—right in

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4732-700: The famous 1968 Earthrise NASA photograph of the Earth from the Moon, the saturation news coverage given to the Santa Barbara oil spill and the Cuyahoga River catching fire in early 1969 led Nelson to think the time was ripe for an environmental initiative. As a result of interactions with his staff and with Fred Dutton , a prominent Democratic operative who had been Robert Kennedy's presidential campaign manager, Nelson became convinced that environmental teach-ins on college campuses could serve as such

4823-409: The financially strapped group. But Hayes declined the check, convincing the board that it would destroy the credibility of the nascent organization. He said that he would be delighted to accept money from clean sources, but no other corporate money was ever raised for the national organization. Individual donations were a significant source of funding, generally accompanied by a contribution slip from

4914-469: The firm include Kiss + Cathcart, Skidmore Owings & Merrill, Grimshaw, Foster & Co, and Arup, among others. In the wake of the economic downturn of 2007-2009, Caplow partnered with Paul Lightfoot (in 2011) to reformulate BrightFarms Systems as a full service commercial farming company named BrightFarms . As of 2022, the company operates six large greenhouse farms across the country supplying salad greens to hundreds of grocery stores nationwide. Caplow

5005-588: The first Earth Day" and "Without the UAW, the first Earth Day would have likely flopped!" Hayes further said, "Walter's presence at our first press conference utterly changed the dynamics of the coverage—we had instant credibility." At a meeting of the Environmental Teach-In board of directors, the finance committee chair arrived with a check for $ 20,000 (equivalent to $ 156,915 in 2023) from Standard Oil of New Jersey (now ExxonMobil). That would have provided an effective measure of financial relief for

5096-466: The first time in history that mountaineers from the United States, Soviet Union , and China had roped together to climb a mountain, let alone Mt. Everest. The group also collected more than two tons of trash (transported down the mountain by support groups along the way) that was left behind on Mount Everest from previous climbing expeditions. The master of ceremonies for the Columbia Gorge event

5187-543: The first to fall was George Fallon, chairman of the hugely powerful House Public Works Committee. Representative Pete McCloskey, Earth Day co-chair, credits the Dirty Dozen's defeat of key congressional leaders with the unstoppable wave of environmental legislation that immediately followed: the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and others. As the tone of major planned Earth Day activities shifted to become less academic and more confrontational, and

5278-540: The first undergraduate Environmental Studies program of its kind at the University of California at Santa Barbara. The seeds that grew into the first Earth Day were planted by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson . An ardent conservationist and former two-term governor of Wisconsin, Nelson had long sought ways to increase the potency of the environment as a political issue. The extraordinary attention garnered by Rachel Carson 's 1962 book, Silent Spring ,

5369-527: The five-year anniversary with an environmental teach-in on March 11–14, 1970. The Michigan teach-in presented a series of speeches dealing with various environmental problems, along with some debate over the best tactics and solutions. No one, including the president of Dow Chemical, argued for more environmental destruction. After the University of Michigan teach-in, there was an explosion of interest on other college campuses. Upwards of 2,000 universities, colleges, and junior colleges ultimately put on events. By

5460-410: The group were Fred Kent , Pete Grannis , and Kristin and William Hubbard. This group agreed to head up the New York City activities within the national movement. Fred Kent took the lead in renting an office and recruiting volunteers. The liberal Republican mayor of New York, John Lindsay, saw the environment as an issue that could help unite his then-troubled city. Moreover, he viewed the environment as

5551-609: The help of Dr. Diego Lirman at the University of Miami and Rescue a Reef. It is the only tank in South Florida representing what coral restoration in the wild looks like. Other exhibit tanks show sea life from Biscayne Bay, including sea horses , a giant hermit crab , erosion-preventing sea grasses , mangroves , and a myriad of local fish. These tanks are used to educate about the importance of diversity in Miami’s local ecology. Guest scientists are invited most weekends and on

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5642-534: The hydrodynamics of contaminant transport in the Hudson River Estuary and his scholarly work in this field has appeared in Environmental Science & Technology , the Journal of Environmental Engineering and Acta Horticulturae . Caplow conceived and, together with Nathalie Manzano, developed Inventors-in-Residence , a science prize competition and residency program which debuted in 2017 at

5733-571: The inaugural Knight Cities Challenge from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation with a proposal to build a Miami Science Barge in downtown Miami, FL . It launched in April 2016. Similar to the Science Barge in NY, it was off grid and focused on sustainability. The Miami Science Barge though, also concentrated on marine ecology and conservation in Biscayne Bay, and emphasized clean aquaculture for

5824-432: The most part, viewed anything other than ending the war as a distraction. A majority of the Earth Day staff had cut their teeth as organizers against the war and saw no conflict. The war appeared to be winding down, and they felt it was prudent to start paying attention to the far more profound changes needed to produce a healthy, sustainable America. But time was short, and college activists were not responding. Hayes spent

5915-459: The national coordinator, and he quickly hired various regional coordinators, a press coordinator, a K–12 coordinator, a volunteer coordinator, etc. At its peak, the national office had a few dozen paid staff, each earning a flat $ 375/month (equivalent to $ 3,116 in 2023), plus more than 100 regular volunteers. As the talented regional coordinators fanned out across the country, however, they immediately encountered two problems. First, by 1970,

6006-516: The nerve center of the nation's communications complex. In addition to shutting down Fifth Avenue , Mayor John Lindsay made Central Park available for Earth Day. In Union Square , the New York Times estimated crowds of up to 20,000 people at any given time and, perhaps, more than 100,000 over the course of the day. Since Manhattan was also the home of NBC , CBS , ABC , The New York Times , Time , and Newsweek , it provided

6097-420: The nonprofit Earthday.org (formerly Earth Day Network). According to Denis Hayes, the first Earth Day 1970 organizer and current Board Chair Emeritus of Earthday.org, Earth Day is now "the largest secular day of protest in the world, and more than a billion people participate in Earth Day actions every year." By far the largest source of funding for the first Earth Day was organized labor. Walter Reuther had led

6188-605: The original founder of Earth Day, was honorary chairman for both groups. The two did not combine forces over disagreements about leadership of combined organization and incompatible structures and strategies. Among the disagreements, key Earth Day 20 Foundation organizers were critical of Earth Day 1990 for including on their board Hewlett-Packard , a company that at the time was the second-biggest emitter of chlorofluorocarbons in Silicon Valley and refused to switch to alternative solvents. In terms of marketing, Earth Day 20 had

6279-636: The ozone layer, organic food, whales and endangered species, oil spills, the military use of Agent Orange in Vietnam, overpopulation, peeling lead paint in ghetto housing, opposition to the supersonic transport, and myriad other topics. At one event, college students would pound an automobile apart with sledgehammers, or, wearing gas masks, would block traffic on a freeway. At other events, grade-school students would plant trees, pick up litter in city parks, or identify birds. Earth Day welcomed them all. Regional coordinators focused heavily on finding and enlisting

6370-486: The poorest neighborhoods. Freeways were plowed through the poorest neighborhoods. Toxic waste dumps were situated in the poorest neighborhoods. But these problems tended not to affect the middle class. The solution was to promote an overarching concern with air and water pollution, which affected everyone, while encouraging each community to pay attention to whatever other issues were of most concern to it. Earth Day included events that focused on fighting freeways, protecting

6461-663: The power system and exhibits of the Barge on the Miami River prior to moving it to its official location in Museum Park in downtown Miami, FL. The Miami Science Barge opened on Earth Day , April 22, 2016. The following April, the Barge was gifted to Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science . The Miami Science Barge has three main areas of focus: The Barge is fully off-grid . It utilizes 48 solar panels (donated by JinkoSolar) to generate enough power to run all of its systems. These panels are set into five arrays including

6552-412: The quotation " We have met the enemy and he is us " to promote the 1970 Earth Day. Environmental groups have sought to make Earth Day into a day of action to change human behavior and provoke policy changes. On the first Earth Day an estimated 20 million Americans took part in rallies, marches, and teach-ins calling for environmental reform. Earth Day is now observed in 192 countries, and coordinated by

6643-441: The resolutely-nonpolitical Whole Earth Catalog , they could force the world to adapt to them. Their theory of change was modeled loosely on the southern African Americans who sat at segregated lunch counters, drank from segregated lunch counters, and sat in the front of the bus, it ignored the role of strategic litigation federal legislation , and electoral politics in cementing lasting change. Other staff members had worked in

6734-457: The streets in an election year, and you plan to sit out the election? Are you nuts?" To square the circle, Hayes proposed that the group not endorse any candidates but that it try to defeat 12 of the worst. If having a terrible environmental record became a political liability, it would inevitably lead to better environmental legislation. Haft was selected to coordinate the Dirty Dozen campaign. With just $ 50,000 to defeat 12 incumbent members of

6825-581: The successful strategies of the anti-war movement and the civil rights movement, he decided to promote large urban rallies, focused on major environmental issues, while also encouraging environmental education at the K–12 level. Bryce Hamilton, who had been Midwest coordinator, was shifted to K–12 coordinator, and it proved to be a great choice. Hamilton reached out to the National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, and

6916-432: The trays and suspension system, the VIG system includes a closed-loop water distribution system which consists of a reservoir, a pump, and a water supply tube for growing plants hydroponically. According to the patent abstract, “the design is particularly well-suited for installation in a double-skin façade of a building, or in an interior atrium, lobby, or similar structure.” Caplow and Adams built and installed prototypes of

7007-405: The uncontrolled air pollution Commonwealth Edison was pouring into Chicago's air—more sulfur pollution than all other companies combined. Although mailings went out to thousands of communities of all sizes, the campaign focused especially hard on large cities. In the winter of 1969–1970, a group of students met at Columbia University to hear Denis Hayes talk about his plans for Earth Day. Among

7098-487: The upcoming event. The ad generated more than enough revenue to repay its cost, and thousands of potential organizers sent in their names and addresses along with their checks. In future months, magazines and alternative newspapers ran the ad for free, generating still more names and more financial support. The national office started using Environmental Action, rather than Environmental Teach-in, on its letterhead and publications to promote Earth Day. At this point, Hayes made

7189-573: The way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Unlike the first Earth Day in 1970, this 20th Anniversary was waged with stronger marketing tools, greater access to television and radio, and multimillion-dollar budgets. Two separate groups formed to sponsor Earth Day events in 1990: The Earth Day 20 Foundation, assembled by Edward Furia (Project Director of Earth Week in 1970), and Earth Day 1990, assembled by Denis Hayes (National Coordinator for Earth Day 1970). Senator Gaylord Nelson ,

7280-456: The world observed the 50th anniversary in what is being referred to as the largest online mass mobilization in history. On January 28, 1969, a well called Platform A, drilled by Union Oil 6 miles (10 km) off the coast of Santa Barbara, California , blew out . More than 3 million U.S. gallons (2.5 million imperial gallons; 11 million liters) of oil spilled, killing more than 10,000 seabirds, dolphins, seals, and sea lions. As

7371-576: The world. By the time April 22 came around, 5,000 environmental groups worldwide were on board, reaching out to hundreds of millions of people in a record 184 countries. Events varied: A talking drum chain traveled from village to village in Gabon , Africa, for example, while hundreds of thousands of people gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., US. Google's first Earth Day doodle

7462-482: The year, Julien Koenig stopped by the national offices and volunteered to help. Koenig was a Madison Avenue giant. His campaign for Volkswagen, "Think Small," was later cited by Advertising Age as the "greatest advertising campaign of the 20th century." Over coffee, Hayes confided that the "teach-in" moniker was not working and asked whether Koenig had any ideas. Koenig asked for a few days. A week later, he returned with an assortment of mock-ups for ads, laid out around

7553-422: Was bipartisan and bicameral. On September 20, 1969, Senator Nelson first announced his plans for an "environmental teach-In" in a little-publicized talk at the University of Washington. "I am convinced that the same concern the youth of this nation took in changing this nation's priorities on the war in Vietnam and on civil rights can be shown for the problem of the environment. That is why I plan to see to it that

7644-626: Was initially President of the Board but sold his remaining stake in Brightfarms in 2021 when the company was acquired by Cox Enterprises. Caplow created the Children's Prize in 2013. Structured as a private foundation, the Children’s Prize aims to save the lives of children under age 5 anywhere in the world. In the initial year, over 550 applications from 70 countries were received using

7735-561: Was later awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom award in recognition of his work. The first Earth Day was focused on the United States. In 1990, Denis Hayes, the original national coordinator in 1970, took it international and organized events in 141 nations. On Earth Day 2016, the landmark Paris Agreement was signed by the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and 120 other countries. This signing satisfied

7826-544: Was later sanctioned in a proclamation written by McConnell and signed by Secretary General U Thant at the United Nations. A month later, United States Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed the idea to hold a nationwide environmental teach-in on April 22, 1970. He hired a young activist, Denis Hayes , to be the National Coordinator. Nelson and Hayes renamed the event "Earth Day". Denis and his staff grew

7917-551: Was led by Mike McCabe and Byron Kennard, and the general mood was festive and celebratory. The principal Washington, D.C., event was a festival held in Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House. Mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries and lifting the status of environmental issues onto the world stage, Earth Day activities in 1990 gave a huge boost to recycling efforts worldwide and helped pave

8008-485: Was named "Best Class Trip" by New York Magazine. Caplow conceived of the project, raised and contributed funding, determined which systems to include on the barge, and drew the initial plans. Execution of the design and various details of the greenhouse, water recovery, and solar/wind power systems were completed by the entire team at NY Sun Works . After being stationed in Hudson River Park from 2006 to 2008,

8099-502: Was named one of “The Ten Best Things to Do in Downtown Miami” by Miami New Times Ted Caplow Theodore "Ted" Caplow (born 1969) is an American social entrepreneur, environmental engineer, and inventor. He is the founder of greenhouse science lab provider New York Sun Works and the co-founder of AgTech supply-chain disruptor BrightFarms . Caplow's pioneering work in urban agriculture and vertical farming began with

8190-812: Was the TV star, John Ratzenberger , from Cheers , and the headlining musician was the "Father of Rock and Roll", Chuck Berry . Warner Bros. Records released an Earth Day-themed single in 1990 entitled "Tomorrow's World", written by Kix Brooks (who would later become one-half of Brooks & Dunn ) and Pam Tillis . The song featured vocals from Lynn Anderson , Butch Baker , Shane Barmby, Billy Hill , Suzy Bogguss , Kix Brooks, T. Graham Brown , The Burch Sisters , Holly Dunn , Foster & Lloyd , Vince Gill , William Lee Golden , Highway 101 , Shelby Lynne , Johnny Rodriguez , Dan Seals , Les Taylor , Pam Tillis, Mac Wiseman , and Kevin Welch . It charted at number 74 on

8281-483: Was visually arresting, and perfectly summed up the issues and values, the feisty-but-welcoming tone that the campaign had adopted. Hayes loved it and decided to bet the farm. He committed about half of all the money in the campaign's bank account to buy a full page in the Sunday New York Times opinion section. The ad was a huge success. Overnight, "Earth Day" became the almost-universally-used name for

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