Earth Day's origins and happenings in Los Angeles Saturday
The first Earth Day came about as such 53 years ago, in 1970. Richard Nixon was president. The country was embroiled in the Vietnam War, there was the ongoing Cold War with the Soviet Union, smoking ads were still allowed on TV and gas cost $.36 per gallon.
CBS News correspondent Walter Cronkite described that first Earth Day as "a day dedicated to enlisting all the citizens of a bountiful country in a common cause of saving life from the deadly biproduct of that bounty."
The major issues on that first Earth Day were pollution and recycling. Today climate change is the headline. While the movement has grown over the decades, the message is the same, we need to take care of this planet.
Caltrans employees kicked off Earth Day in Los Angeles on Friday, rolling up their sleeves with trash bags in hand, picking up trash along the freeways. They also painted over graffiti on bridges and overpasses.
In Los Angeles, planned Earth Day events are happening on the beaches, at the LA River, in parks and in neighborhoods all over. While celebrating Earth Day can be as simple as planting a tree or native plants, having a picnic instead of eating out, or riding bikes or walking for the day instead of driving, there's a lot happening Saturday April 22.
Here's a list of some L.A. Earth Day events:
- Los Angeles Waterkeeper and Golden Road Brewing host: Earth Day LA River Cleanup
- Earth Day Jubilee at the Heal the Bay Aquarium, Santa Monica
- Heal the Bay Earth Day Beach Clean Up, Manhattan Beach
- 31st Annual Earth Day Celebration and Concert at Polliwog Park, Manhattan Beach
- Earth Day Celebration at White Point Nature Preserve, San Pedro
- Annual Earth Day beach cleanup, Venice Beach
- LA Sanitation & Environment's Earth Day LA 2023 at Hyperion
- Earth Day Beach Cleanup and Party, Hermosa Beach
- City of Glendora's Earth Day Festival
