There are no other names related to Earth Day compared to Gaylord Nelson. Nelson was born in Clear Lake, Wisconsin, United States on June 4, 1916, and died on July 3, 2005.
He studies at majored in Political Science at San Jose University in San Jose majoring in Political Science, California in 1939. After that, he received an LLB from the University of Wisconsin Law School in Madison in 1942 and finally was able to practice his knowledge in law. He also served in the United States Army.
After returning from World War II, Nelson began his career as a politician and environmental activist who continued as an activist until he died. As a governor from Wisconsin, he created the Outdoor Recreation Program which saved about one million hectares of parks in his area. He was instrumental in the development of the national lane system including the Appalachian Trail.
Nelson also helped fight for Wilderness Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and another landmark environmental legislation. He is best known as the founder of Earth Day. Everybody around the world celebrated that to celebrate the environmental day around the world.
Gaylord Nelson an Environmental Fighter
After his election to the Senate in 1962, Nelson discovered the fact that the White House had no political agenda in environmental matters despite many national problems.
Nelson immediately puts environmental problems as part of American priority by utilizing his experience as a “Conservation Governor” from Wisconsin.
During the re-election campaign in 1968, Nelson was praised by Vince Lombardi. Lombardi is a general manager and former Green Bay Packers coach. According to Lombardi, Nelson was considered the “first number conservator for the nation” at a party in Oshkosh.
But Nelson uses that as part of his campaign advertisement and offended Lombardi, the Republic of Wisconsin Party, and Vince Lombardi’s wife Marie, who was a persistent Republican.
Although Nelson is known primarily for his environmental work, Nelson is also a prominent consumer supporter, as well as a strong supporter of civil rights and civil liberties.
Nelson is also a supporter of small businesses and he led a successful effort to endorse the first modern White House Conference on Small Business. In addition. He also created a system of Small Business Development Centers at American universities and improved the way that federal agencies could manage other small businesses.
Gaylord Nelson the founder of Earth Day
In 1969, the idea of “national day for the environment” known today as earth day was first held on April 22, 1970. This Earth Day celebration brought significant public pressure to Washington DC so that in the end they made a national environmental agenda.
Nelson’s efforts succeeded in marking the start of the growth of the modern environmental movement. He was a prominent figure in the war against environmental degradation and social injustice in the 20th century. Gaylor Nelson as an activist for the environment is something that we need to follow as a young generations.
