Earth Day still bringing us together, 50 years later

On April 22, 1970, 20 million people came out to celebrate and demand environmental protections for the planet.

The year before, the fire on Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River brought awareness to the problem of chemical waste disposal. Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” had already raised alarms on the danger of deadly pesticides. Landmark legislation immediately followed, including the Clean Air and Water Acts and the Endangered Species Act.