The media has recently exposed many negatives about politicians. I plead guilty. I’ve written my share of critical copy.  This column, however, will praise a politician fulsomely. Neither am I alone in singing his praise.  He has received countless awards from the State of Wisconsin, the University of Wisconsin, even from the United Nations. President Clinton awarded him the nation’s highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. I write of former Senator Gaylord Nelson, the father of Earth Day.
 
In 1916 Gaylord Nelson was born in Clear Lake, a town of only 700 people in northwestern Wisconsin. After law school he served as a lieutenant in the United States Army where in WW II he saw combat on Okinawa. After a defeat in his first attempt at elected office, he practiced law. In 1946 he was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate for the first of three terms, then as Wisconsin’s Governor and beginning in 1962 to three six-year terms in the Senate of the United States. In Ronald Reagan’s landslide victory over Jimmy Carter in 1980 he narrowly lost re-election.  He was a Democrat but a maverick.  He was one of the first senators to oppose Lyndon Johnson on the Vietnam War.
 
From his earliest days in Wisconsin, Senator Nelson dedicated much effort to conserving and protecting the earth.  As Governor he signed legislation to protect land for use as recreation, wildlife sanctuaries and public parks. In 1962 he brought environmental concerns with him to the United States Senate where he introduced the first legislation to ban DDT and was a persistent advocate for environmental education, mass transit and a national land use policy.  He sponsored or co-sponsored much conservation legislation including the Wilderness Act and the Alaska Lands Act.   He was a visionary far ahead of his time, but he is best remembered as the founder of Earth Day.
 
Nelson discovered that although the public seemed very interested in the environment and his efforts to defend it, politicians were mainly indifferent.  He tried a number of ways to increase support to protect the environment. Finally, inspired by the success of the anti-Vietnam War teach-ins on college campuses, he personally organized the first Earth Day for April 22, 1970. He raised funds for this effort.  He contacted governors and mayors of major cities asking for Earth Day proclamations.  He sent articles to college newspapers and through an article in Scholastic Magazine contacted most grade and high schools.
 
The first Earth Day was a resounding success. An estimated twenty million people participated. “In New York City, Mayor John Lindsay closed Fifth Avenue to automobile traffic and 100,000 people attended an ecology fair in Central Park.” American Heritage magazine called the first Earth Day “one of the most remarkable happenings in the history of democracy.”
 
Thirty-eight years later, Earth Day continues nationwide in a great variety of grassroots celebrations.  In some places it has expanded into Earth Week.  It continues to be observed, pointedly reminding us of the devastation of pollution, toxic poisoning and global warming. It urges us to use less and tread lightly on this planet.
 
The core lesson of Earth Day is unmistakable. We should respect our environment and not abuse it. In our greed and arrogance we should not poison or pollute it. The earth is only loaned to us. We are meant to pass it on. Native Americans urge us to think seven generations ahead so as to not leave the earth less beautiful, less bountiful and less nurturing for our grandchildren’s grandchildren.
 
In 1980 when Senator Nelson lost his campaign for reelection, he said he had enjoyed the Senate but would not mope about losing. He became counselor to The Wilderness Society and continued his environmental work.  He died in 2005 at the age of 89, but his legacy flourishes like the daffodils in springtime.
 
Earth Day is more than the 22nd of April; it’s a Holy Day and poses spiritual questions for us. Nor is this spiritual dimension new.  Listen to the Thirteenth Century poetry of Francis of Assisi in his “Canticle to the Sun.”
 
“Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures, especially through my lord Brother Sun….
“Praise be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars, in heaven you formed them clear and precious and beautiful.
“Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind, and through the air, cloudy and serene….
“Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water, which is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.
“Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Mother Earth, who sustains us and governs us….”
 
President Clinton’s statement when he presented Senator Nelson with the Presidential Freedom Medal in 1995, read, “As father of Earth Day he is the grandfather of all that grew out of that event – the Environmental Protection Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act. He also set a standard for people in public service to care about the environment and to try and do something about it.”
 
Many ask what we can do. Here are a few suggestions. We can drive our cars less – and more slowly.  We can carpool and compost. We can reuse and recycle. In the winter we can turn down the thermostats and put on sweaters; in the summer turn off the air conditioners and open the window. We can collect rainwater in barrels for our gardens. We can replace traditional light bulbs with energy efficient ones. We can eat more vegetables and fruits and less meat, which demands much more grain to produce  (besides it’s a healthier diet !). We can speak out and sing out in support of our planet.
 
Most importantly, we must remember that Earth Day is everyday.
 
Daniel O'Rourke is a married Catholic priest. Retired from the Administration at SUNY Fredonia, he lives in Cassadaga, NY.  His column appears in the Observer, Dunkirk, NY on the second and fourth Thursday each month. He has published "The Spirit at Your Back," a book of previous columns. You may purchased it or send comments to orourke@netsync.net