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A CORPORATE HISTORY OF EARTH DAY

DEMONSTRATING DEMOCRACY IN 1970

On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans joined together in demonstrations designed to place the environment on the national political agenda. Citizens took to the streets to protest the destruction of the planet at the hands of industry. They filled classrooms and auditoriums to strategize about cleaning up their communities. Politicians fanned out from the Capitol, leaving Congress to shut down for the day while they returned to their constituencies to stump on a novel issue: the environment. The demonstrations had successfully put the issue in the mainstream of American politics.

American Heritage Magazine called the inaugural Earth Day "one of the most remarkable happenings in the history of democracy." Indeed, its exhibition of widespread environmentalism was the impetus behind the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of landmark legislation like the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act.

But as with other auspicious democratic happenings (like elections) Earth Day eventually came under threat of corporate control. Corporations realized that they could co-opt Earth Day by sponsoring or hosting events, transforming the earnest day of observance of environmental problems into an indulgent observance of themselves.

THE "MUGGING" OF 1990

Earth Day’s 20th anniversary in 1990 drew a record 200 million participants in 141 countries. It came at a peak of environmental interest in the country, when books such as 50 Things You Can Do to Save the Earth and Hints for a Healthy Planet were bestsellers, and one out of every four new products released at the time were labeled "recyclable," "biodegradable," "compostable" or "ozone friendly."

The popularity of green consumerism coinciding with Earth Day 1990 heralded for environmentalism a positive change in degree but a problematic shift in kind. On one hand, citizens were increasingly aware of the environmental impact of their lifestyle and eager to alleviate it. On the other hand, environmental accountability was being passed from corporations and governments to consumers.

Earth Day 1990 marked the transfer. In contrast with the radical and politicized citizen engagement which characterized the first Earth Day, Earth Day 1990 was, according to social ecologist Brian Tokar, "a day of polite, feel-good commemorations with strikingly little social or political content; many big city events were almost wholly sponsored by major corporations." Time Magazine was more graphic in its appraisal, calling Earth Day 1990 "a commercial mugging."

A few hundred citizens practiced self-defense. On the Monday morning following Earth Day Sunday, environmentalists from across the country converged in Manhattan and squatted on Wall Street to thwart the trading of corporate stock. New York Daily News columnist Juan Gonzalez wrote:

"Certainly, those who sought to co-opt Earth Day into a media and marketing extravaganza, to make the public feel good while obscuring the corporate root of the Earth’s pollution almost succeeded. It took angry Americans from places like Maine and Vermont to come to Wall Street on a workday and point the blame where it belongs."

EARTH DAY USA OVERREACHES IN 1995

In honor of Earth Day’s next landmark anniversary in 1995, a coalition of environmental and consumer groups including Earth Day Resources and the State PIRGS led the Free the Planet petition drive in support of the Earth Day 1995 Action Agenda, comprised of 25 simple, sensible steps for saving the planet. The campaign gathered over 1.2 million signatures, keeping alive the true spirit of Earth Day as a public protest to protect the planet rather than a corporate-friendly festival.

Yet, on the whole, Earth Day 25th anniversary demonstrated that the event had strayed far from its roots. Earth Day USA, an organization created by environmental business consultant John Anderson and inaugural Earth Day co-founder Senator Gaylord Nelson, presumed the role of umbrella planner and fundraiser for Earth Day events nationwide. To raise the necessary resources, the organization attempted to turn Earth Day, the name of which is in the public domain, into a private commodity. For upwards of $30,000, companies bought exclusive sponsorships with rights to the Earth Day USA logo. Companies were not subject to any sort of screening test. Denis Hayes, who co-founded the first Earth Day with Nelson, complained that many of the sponsors "didn’t pass the giggle test" when it came to their actual environmental records. Earth Day USA even contemplated forming a second organization, the "Earth Day Corporate Team," to enhance funding from corporations. The idea of the spin-off group made its way to journalists, who exposed Earth Day’s greenwashing to a disappointed and cynical public. News of Earth Day USA’s dubious activities forced the Corporate Team scheme to fold and scared away the White House and the government consortium Project Earthlink from taking part in Earth Day USA’s showcase extravaganza on the National Mall in Washington, DC. Local Earth Day organizers who had been brought into the fold of Earth Day USA’s plans also stepped away from the mess and decided to recruit funders and participants on their own.

Earth Day USA’s corporate fundraising plans didn’t just backfire on the group itself, they debased the reputation of Earth Day on what was supposed to be a momentous occasion. In its newsletter The Planet, the Sierra Club asked, "Earth Day 1995: Celebration or Wake?" Aside from negative reporting of blundering Earth Day USA, Earth Day coverage was more likely to be found on the lifestyle page than the news page. After all, organizers had disincentive to make news by protesting against global warming if they accepted sponsorship from an auto manufacturer, or against acid rain if they took money from the local power plant. Bill Gifford wrote in Outside magazine, "the overriding ‘idea’ of Earth Day 25’s planners seemed to be to out-hooplah 1990. Period. And many observers say that, in the rush to put on the biggest, baddest eco-bash ever, the [environmental] message got left behind."

LOSING THE NEWS IN 2000

The case of Ford Motor Company in 2000 shows the lengths to which corporations will go to take over the news surrounding Earth Day. In the week preceding Earth Day, Ford came to San Francisco to honor "Heroes of the Planet" with a parade, concert and reception. Joshua Karliner and Kenny Bruno of Corporate Watch asserted, "Ford has no moral authority to associate itself with environmental heroism." At least two of the "heroes" agreed and declined Ford’s invitation.

Ford lavished its generosity elsewhere as the exclusive sponsor of Time’s "Earth Day 2000 Special Edition: How to Save the Earth and the Heroes for the Planet Who Are Making It Happen.," and the exclusive advertiser in two special issues of Time for Kids, with an audience of 2.8 million elementary school students.

BLEACHED OR REVIVIED IN 2005?

In 2005, Earth Day will reach another significant milestone, its 35th anniversary, known to those who reach it as the "coral anniversary." The coral reefs in the world’s oceans are dying, victims of global warming. Once dead, the reefs will not disappear entirely, but will appear bleached, pale ghosts drained of their vital colors.

Similarly, Earth Day is in no danger of vanishing. It would always be maintained by corporate sponsors as a public relations vehicle. Participants will always flock to apolitical events with free food and music. But Earth Day can be more than a party to corporate greenwash and a party for the people. It can defend itself from commercial mugging, return to its roots and regain prominence in the news.

How? Simple. By decommercializing through limited and screened sponsorhips, following the path of protest set by Earth Day’s original participants, and making public and political awareness of environmental issues Earth Day’s chief aim.

For the "coral anniversary" of Earth Day in 2005, The Green Life will lead a campaign to promote strict environmental screening of corporate sponsors, restore Earth Day events as venues for concerted demonstrations, and educate citizens and journalists about how the issues that inspired 20 million people to come together in 1970 to create a new American holiday are still important for all Americans today. To learn more and get involved, contact .

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