Yuba College will be hosting an Earth Day event on Thursday, April 19th from 11:00AM to 1:00PM at the Quad. There will be music, food and several fun activities to tune into an awareness for the environment. Participating students will enjoy a tree giveaway, hugging a tree, bringing their recycling for drop off, pot painting, seed bombs, henna tattooing, a rummage sale, salad box displays and much more.
The first Earth Day was on April 22, 1970 and is thought to coincide with the foundation of the modern day environmental movement. Modeled after the Teach-Ins on college campuses that protested the Vietnam War, the event now boasts over 500 million followers worldwide and is the largest secular holiday on the planet.
Earth Day is attributed to Senator Nelson, a Democrat from Wisconsin who came to the idea while on a plane trip that flew over an horrific oil spill in Santa Barbara in 1969. At that time oil spills were unprecedented accidents, and as Senator Nelson’s outrage met with paralysis back in DC, the concept for a day to mobilize demonstrations and political support for the environment took root.
Part of the success of Earth Day resides in the fact that it has been fomented by a grassroots campaign that avoids a top down leadership approach, favoring a more democratic meeting of like minds. It helps that there is so much public support for the day as its popularity continues to grow along with impressive gains. You can thank the Earth Day movement for improved recycling procedures and the option to purchase organic food, among other things.
Stop by the Earth Day Event and learn more. You may find yourself wearing patchouli oil and sandals or more likely, having a new and improved appreciation for the outdoors.
Jake Shafer has lived in the Yuba-Sutter area for five years. He is currently working towards a Natural Science degree at Yuba College. He enjoys writing and editing and being on the Prospector staff this semester.
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