In September of 1969, while speaking at a conference in Seattle, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson had an idea. Why not have one day every year where Americans could come together and deliver an unmistakable message to policymakers - the environment matters, we care about it and we want to do something about it? The following year, on April 22, 1970, millions of Americans made their voices heard on the very first Earth Day - culminating in what was then the largest organized demonstration in U.S. history.
This week, as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of this yearly event, it's worth taking a look at what we have achieved since that day four decades ago. Thanks to the activism of ordinary citizens, a bipartisan coalition of policymakers established the EPA and passed landmark environmental laws protecting our natural resources, including the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act and Endangered Species Act. More than government action, however, Americans have made it increasingly and unmistakably clear to businesses that sustainability is a key concern for them. And business has responded. For them, the principles that underpin Earth Day are applicable more than just one day a year.