April 2007 | From the Editor
Changing Times
It’s spring, and with it, Earth Day, April 22nd, is upon us again. My earliest Earth Day memories are of riding my bike to high school with a group of my friends — some of us stirred by a budding sense of eco-awareness, but most of us lured by the promise of free bagels in the parking lot for those who arrived car-free.
As I’ve gotten older, and the weather balmier, Earth Day has moved from a passing blip on my radar to a month-long global celebration and massive eco education campaign. And while we’re all well aware of why we should be worrying about the planet these days, many of us have less of a grip on the history and significance of the storied holiday itself. In the likelihood that you should find yourself in the midst of one of these celebrations, free bagel in hand, here’s a short primer on what in the world you’re up to.
The first Earth Day — a Wednesday in 1970 — was huge, in both scope and impact. United by a collective urge to amend the deplorable conditions of their neighborhoods and communities, 25 million Americans joined in solidarity around the country to demand a safer, cleaner and healthier world. Congress closed to give politicians a day to go home and talk directly with their constituents, and from those conversations some of the most significant pieces of legislation in the history of the environmental movement — the Endangered Species Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Superfund — were born. Notorious anti-environment president Richard Nixon was moved to create the Environmental Protection Agency, and when Earth Day organizers targeted the re-election of the “dirty dozen congressmen” that fall, seven of those congressmen were defeated, sending a clear message to officials nationwide.
Today, Earth Day is the largest secular holiday in the world, observed simultaneously around the globe by more than a half billion people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities. And with the next evolution of the green movement nearing critical mass, 2007 promises to be one of the biggest parties since the holiday’s inception. There are Earth Day events to match all tastes and proclivities — from rallies to meditations, art exhibits to expos, workshops to film fests — in every neighborhood throughout the Southland. While many are mentioned in the pages of this issue, more are being planned every day, so stay tuned to wholelifetimes.com/calendar to see what’s out there or add your local event.
But let’s be honest: since its historic beginnings, Earth Day has always been less about the party and more about the big changes. And to rescue our rapidly warming home from ecological collapse, it’s going to take change on a colossal scale. So with this issue, in honor of Earth Day, we gathered philosophers, activists, teachers, leaders and impresarios to identify our most pressing challenges — and suggest solutions. On page 64, “social uplift environmentalist” Van Jones parses the tough but essential question of why the green movement is so devoid of diversity. “It is obvious that eco-chic, embraced by the eco-elite, won’t save the planet,” writes Jones. “Climate change activists may be tempted to try to sidestep the issues of racial inclusion, in the name of expedience — but the truth is that eco-apartheid is just a speed-bump on the way to eco-apocalypse.” His simple, moving plan for how to create eco-equity is a rallying cry for our time. And on pages 50 and 66 renowned climate change author and scholar Bill McKibben draws the link between the fossil fuel age and modern day malaise, and frames global warming as an opportunity for us to live happier, more fulfilling and connected lives.
And if their words inspire you to action, this issue is also packed with plenty of ways to join the conversation. So go out, have fun, and make change. Happy Earth Day.
—Eliza Thomas, Editor in Chief
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