I heard an interesting story on NPR about Earth Day. When it first started in the 1970's (1974?) there were protests, gatherings, and rallies across the country in support of conservation and preservation. Government responded to the will of the people and enacted many of the same environmental reforms we work with and are limited to today. (Endangered Species Act, Clean Air Act) These 40 or so years later it seems like the recession turned the table- elements of government want to enact legislation to save the environment from climate change and pollution, but the will of the people has been dampened.
Why is there no popular movement to save the environment? Compassion fatigue? Disinterest? It's not like in the 60's and 70's people were individually more relevant and powerful in relation to their governments, it just seems like this generation (or the last few) have lost the dream and will to believe not only in progress and the impact of the individual, but in our right to dream and take that dream to government.
For me, Earth Day is a sad reminder of activism which has gone from being necessary and vital to unnecessary in the eyes of those who have the biggest difference to make.
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