File:Christina Korp Earth Day and Apollo 8.jpg: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 15:59, 7 August 2024

DYK? Yes we do, we remember!

Steve Schmidt (SJS) / Our eyes opened wide in December 1968, Apollo 8's 'Earthrise', and then 1969 pro--peace Earth work and then our first Earth Day in 1970!

Beginnings of the Modern Environmental Movement

https://www.greenpolicy360.net/images/1969_beginnings_of_the_modern_environmental_movement.pdf

Earthrise

https://www.greenpolicy360.net/w/Apollo_8

First Earth Day Memories

Nationwide Peace Action in 1969 Brings on Earth Day in 1970

* https://www.greenpolicy360.net/w/Earth_Day_Memories_on_the_50th_Anniversary

How Your GreenPolicy360 Founder turned political with a Congressman's assist

Environmental Protection and Preservation of Life on Earth

SJS / GreenPolicy Siterunner: Congressman George E. Brown was the man who convinced me to look at politics as a serious calling. When I was a young teenager in East LA, looking out at a larger world in which I had yet to travel, and debating "nuclear weapons proliferation" as the debate topic of the year we were considering and with sirens on occasion loudly going off and forcing us to crawl under our desks, the man I got to know in Monterey Park was at the beginning of his career in politics and science.

For the next 35 years he was my mentor and an inspiration of what can be done to make a difference and create a better world. George was a visionary with tousled hair, a professorial look, a smelly pipe and a twinkle in his eye. He was always there for his constituents, like me, an East LA kid who grew up to be a friend and cohort as we did green work over the years.

George was a real presence in Congress, in science and environmental achievements, from the first Earth Day to the first federal program to study climate science, from the first earth science research from space to 'big science' projects that carry on to this day.

Back in the early days, we would speak of these political efforts, and especially the immediate reality of the 'smog' in LA, which might have been at that time the worst in the world, and how we needed to clean up the air. I spoke of my asthma with George and his engineering background provided his perspective with advantages over the run-of-the-mill politicians in DC in knowing how to best address the pollution from cars, the gas engines that were becoming ubiquitous in fast-growing suburban Southern California.

When your GreenPolicy360 siterunner was in college at USC in the late 1960s and becoming deeply involved in politics, George and I continued to speak of the children in Los Angeles and their lung problems and scientific and medical studies that were vividly (shockingly) demonstrating the consequences of growing up in the most polluted air in the country.

George helped my organizing work and I helped his especially in the "decade of the environment" following the first Earth Day in 1970 and the building of a foundation of environmental legislation.

As George became a leader in Congress and ran for U.S. Senate, opposing the Vietnam war and I helped organize in DC what became the largest anti-war group, the Vietnam Moratorium Committee, we spoke of war and peace and how to change the nation's war policies and role in the world. His efforts to change U.S. foreign policy led to the first Earth Day.

George Brown and Steve Schmidt, 1969

Rep George Brown and Steve Schmidt - Oct 15, 1969 - 448x305.png

George worked tirelessly in Congress for change. With saving and protecting the environment in his sight, he moved conservative and liberal politicians in his direction. George saw connections that transcended states and nations. A key goal was setting up an EPA as an umbrella agency to coordinate environmental federal and federal-state efforts... George was a "first-mover" as the term has come to be known. He had a big-picture plan and set out to accomplish it. He succeeded on multiple fronts, pushing forward the idea and the vision for 'omnibus' legislation. The Environmental Protection Agency was founded and historic initial green laws and regulations for environmental protection and security were passed.

George E. Brown Jr

George was among the first voices to be raised warning about the environmental threat of climate disruption and, although few realize, he was at the forefront of the initial efforts to study the climate, pushing the development of initial atmospheric science programs and missions of NASA and public/private research. He combined his engineering skills with his legislative reach.

George E. Brown, in fact, drafted the "National Climate Program Act" of 1978.

1978 Climate Act PDF via GreenPolicy360

Rep. George Brown brought his extensive work with U.S. top scientists, featured in the work of 1977's Energy and Climate Report of the National Academy of Sciences and follow on 1979 Academy Climate Science report that was presciently accurate in its predictions.

The Congressman-Engineer emphasized, constantly to me and in his work, the essential important of having accurate data in order to make the best possible engineering decisions. He imprinted, if I could use this word to its fullest meaning, the vital nature of gathering information with studies over time to monitor changes. He was in a position, one of the most powerful positions in government, to shape the policies of science -- atmospheric science, earth science, big science.

Whenever we see the NASA 'marching directive' "You can manage only what you can measure", think of George. The original mission statement of our nation's first ventures into space began with studying the home planet. Measuring and monitoring became a mantra of Earth Science...

The Congressman left us a legacy of vision and action against threats to the atmosphere, environment - earth's life systems, and sustainability.

https://www.greenpolicy360.net/w/George_E._Brown_Jr

We have, all who believe in the importance of science, carried forward his thoughts over the years since the 1960s and 1970s. As best we could, we have carried on against deep odds and opposition by those with other goals.

The Original Mission Statement of NASA ((1958) provided Congressional intent and guidance to the first generation of space programs. George, if he were here, would've done I am certain everything within his power to protect the original mission statement...

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Looking Back: @USC organizing the California anti-war movement/a USC Cinema Dept. film of the Moratorium

• https://www.greenpolicy360.net/w/File:Moratorium_October_15_1969.jpg

A Personal Story, Your GreenPolicy360 Siterunner, Reflections of Olden Days - 1969/70/71

By Steven Schmidt / GreenPolicy360 Siterunner

* https://www.greenpolicy360.net/mw/images/1969_beginnings_of_the_modern_environmental_movement.pdf

Vietnam Moratorium Organizing 1969-70

• https://www.greenpolicy360.net/w/File:Vietnam_Moratorium_Committee-Documentary_Intro.jpg

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wLCWEU-6qA&t=32s

• https://www.greenpolicy360.net/w/File:Moratorium_October_15_1969.jpg

• https://www.greenpolicy360.net/w/File:Doomsday_Machine-Daniel_Ellsberg-Recalling_the_Vietnam_Moratorium_Oct-Nov_1969.jpg

• https://www.greenpolicy360.net/w/File:Moratorium_memory,_Dan-Steve,_Doomsday_Machine_inscription.jpg

• https://www.strategicdemands.com/doomsday-machine/

Attempting to Turn from War to Peace

An Environmental Movement in the Making

#PlanetCitizen | #PlanetCitizens | #PlanetCitizensPlanetScientists

October 15, 1969 - In Memory

Senator Nelson, founder of Earth Day at USC

Congressman George E. Brown, East LA, with an environmental agenda

Looking back at the beginning of the modern environmental movement

SJS/GreenPolicy360 Siterunner:

Throughout 1969 and 1970, our student movement organized both pro-peace Vietnam Moratorium actions and pro-environmental protection actions. Two U.S. Representatives were central in the work -- George E. Brown and Gaylord Nelson. Another Representative who helped us was Pete McCloskey. There are many stories of meetings, and organizing, and networking, and coordinating -- often called "grassroots" and up... We saw our efforts picked up in the press and by the media, by churches and labor, and business leaders, the work was looking to find wide support. Many responded, millions came out to express their feelings and beliefs.

On the first Earth Day, April 22, 1970, a beginning of green ideals and ideas emerged in a serious way... Today Earth Day continues on as a movement and a political cause. Now we are a diverse mix, across the globe, employing the Internet with many voices, colors, ages, especially young people joining in. We continue on year after year, decade after decade.... We are strongly confronting and working to solve our generation's existential challenges. Reaching across our home planet, touching and interacting with planet citizens, looking to share solutions to pressing problems and challenges.

Generation Green

Environmentalism took on new forms and shapes with ideas that became a legal platform, a first generation of environmental laws that would go worldwide. A new "counterculture" with youthful vision and organizing added their voices and stood up to create the beginnings of a global environmental movement.

With a goal of protecting life, a new environmental movement began to grow, a "Whole Earth" vision seen for the first time from space in 1968 with the iconic Apollo 8 Earthrise image and a very real 'sense' of our common responsibility for the future of the planet. Students were 'first-movers' who spoke of the existential threat of nuclear war and environmental disaster, and need to 'become' far-reaching with a new vision. Realizations grew internationally that we had created weapons capable of ending humanity and most all life of earth -- and we needed to change this nuclear doomsday threat. Protests and 'teach ins', led by students, and drawing in politicians, communities, media, news with pamphlets, books, music, art and demonstrations crossed continents with new symbols, peace symbols, environmental and eco-awareness.

The threads of teach-ins led directly to and the first Earth Day in 1970 as students expanded counterculture with action.

Across the U.S., a first Earth Day of teach-ins began as a student-initiated movement on college campuses including your siterunner's college where we proposed an environment and peace action day to Senator Nelson, who we met as we organized the national Moratorium and who worked with us to make an Earth Day a national political event.

We invited Senator Nelson to speak at the University of Southern California for Earth Day and he agreed. Students who organized pro-peace and then pro-environment actions, as the Senator explained, inspired him to propose a national environmental action. The peace activists of the 1969 Vietnam war moratorium shared a positive vision of what was needed and he listened. In California meetings, he listened. Environmental protection, economic and social justice, new priorities added to the nation's agenda. The work spread quickly. A foundation of organizing sprang into action and Earth Day's teach-ins reached out to students and new networks formed globally. A worldwide environmental movement became a real and growing political force...

Senator Nelson, an eco-voyager who watched, met with, and listened to us:

"I am convinced that the same concern the youth of this nation took in changing this nation's priorities on the war in Vietnam and on civil rights can be shown for the problems of the environment. Successful teach-ins on all campuses on the same day will have a dramatic impact on the environmental conscience of the nation. They will be immensely effective as an educational effort in arousing public opinion..."

"If we could tap into the environmental concerns of the general public and infuse student energy into the environmental cause, we could generate a demonstration that would force the issue onto the national political agenda," Senator Bill Nelson (D-WI) said after one of his 1969 trips to California.

Onward !

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"Every day is Earth Day"