Well, Yesterday was Earth Day?

Question

Earth day was started back in 1970 to alert people to the risks of Global Climate Change. When you read about the problems we faced, do you think Earth Day was a success?

Earth Day Predictions, 1970 (Sound Familiar?)

"We have about five more years at the outside to do something."
-- Kenneth Watt, ecologist

"Civilization will end within 15 or 30 years unless immediate action is taken against problems facing mankind."
-- George Wald, Harvard Biologist

"We are in an environmental crisis which threatens the survival of this nation, and of the world as a suitable place of human habitation."
-- Barry Commoner, Washington University biologist

"Man must stop pollution and conserve his resources, not merely to enhance existence but to save the race from intolerable deterioration and possible extinction."
-- New York Times editorial, the day after the first Earth Day

"Population will inevitably and completely outstrip whatever small increases in food supplies we make. The death rate will increase until at least 100-200 million people per year will be starving to death during the next ten years."
-- Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University biologist

"By...[1975] some experts feel that food shortages will have escalated the present level of world hunger and starvation into famines of unbelievable proportions. Other experts, more optimistic, think the ultimate food-population collision will not occur until the decade of the 1980s."
-- Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University biologist

"It is already too late to avoid mass starvation."
-- Denis Hayes, chief organizer for Earth Day

"Demographers agree almost unanimously on the following grim timetable: by 1975 widespread famines will begin in India; these will spread by 1990 to include all of India, Pakistan, China and the Near East, Africa. By the year 2000, or conceivably sooner, South and Central America will exist under famine conditions....By the year 2000, thirty years from now, the entire world, with the exception of Western Europe, North America, and Australia, will be in famine."
-- Peter Gunter, professor, North Texas State University

"Scientists have solid experimental and theoretical evidence to support...the following predictions: In a decade, urban dwellers will have to wear gas masks to survive air pollution...by 1985 air pollution will have reduced the amount of sunlight reaching earth by one half...."
-- Life Magazine, January 1970

"At the present rate of nitrogen buildup, it's only a matter of time before light will be filtered out of the atmosphere and none of our land will be usable."
-- Kenneth Watt, Ecologist

"Air pollution...is certainly going to take hundreds of thousands of lives in the next few years alone."
-- Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University biologist

"We are prospecting for the very last of our resources and using up the nonrenewable things many times faster than we are finding new ones."
-- Martin Litton, Sierra Club director

"By the year 2000, if present trends continue, we will be using up crude oil at such a rate...that there won't be any more crude oil. You'll drive up to the pump and say, `Fill 'er up, buddy,' and he'll say, `I am very sorry, there isn't any.'"
-- Kenneth Watt, Ecologist

"Dr. S. Dillon Ripley, secretary of the Smithsonian Institute, believes that in 25 years, somewhere between 75 and 80 percent of all the species of living animals will be extinct."
-- Sen. Gaylord Nelson

RayHere · Accepted Answer

You have that reversed in 1970 the talk would about the coming of the ice age and the population bomb
Over the pond all the talk was about nuclear war but now that China Iran and North Korea have  these weapons they are all sophisticated about it

Sorry did not read your whole post yes y'all have it about right
Kyoto is proof again of American exceptional-ism

honestly63 · Answer

It was not about climate change, but protecting our environment.  

I guess it's a good thing we didn't just sit around and do nothing to fix things!:

"My primary objective in planning Earth Day was to show the political leadership of the Nation that there was broad and deep support for the environmental movement. While I was confident that a nationwide peaceful demonstration of concern would be impressive, I was not quite prepared for the overwhelming response that occurred on that day. Two thousand colleges and universities, ten thousand high schools and grade schools, and several thousand communities in all, more than twenty million Americans participated in one of the most exciting and significant grassroots efforts in the history of this country.

Earth Day 1970 made it clear that we could summon the public support, the energy, and commitment to save our environment. And while the struggle is far from over, we have made substantial progress. In the ten years since 1970 much of the basic legislation needed to protect the environment has been enacted into law: the Clean Air Act, the Water Quality Improvement Act, the Water Pollution and Control Act Amendments, the Resource Recovery Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Federal Environmental Pesticide Control Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, and the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act. And, the most important piece of environmental legislation in our history, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was signed into law on January 1, 1970. NEPA came about in response to the same public pressure which later produced Earth Day."
Gaylord Nelson

The article lists lots more, if you want to read it all.

Sure, not everyone got their predictions right, but we've heard a lot of bogus predictions from lots of different people.  Remember the terrorist attack promised us in the first few months after Obama was elected.  Remember death panels.  Mission accomplished. ...

Anonymous · Answer

4 Years, 3 Months ago, Al Gore said we have 10 more years to stop global warming. Only 5 Years, 9 Months to go before Al Gore becomes the laughing stock of the world (assuming he isn't already).

Martian · Answer

Simply amazing isn't it.
Yet, I LOVED that both Obama and Biden flew on their personal jets, to New York City to deliver 2 different "rah rah" speeches.  This IMMEDIATELY caused a major airline problem, with many passenger jets circling overheard wasting fuel...................traffic jams trapping motorists for hours burning fuel while their personal entourage drove through the City.
This is the EXACT type of action from these "people", that makes one scream when they remember Obamas GREAT and WISE advice to the public.  "Be sure the air in your tires is at the recommended pressures......"   Holy cow !

Anonymous · Answer

I celebrated Earth Day by burning about 80 gallons of Diesel.Just think how much the Trees loved all that CO2.

Just felt like doing my part.

RWE

Anonymous · Answer

i played a round of golf for earth day. also, drank some beer.

Philip H · Answer

I celebrated by sending my lawn mowing robot out to work and then went to a classy restaurant and had stuffed quail. 
(Actually it was my anniversary so my wife and I never even thought about it.)
If you consider that 40 years ago they were saying we would be freezing to death if we didn't find a solution quickly, I guess you can say their initial objectives were achieved. LOL
Seriously, they couldn't do anything about that problem and since their objective is to gain Power and Control over our lives, they had to find another issue to lie about.

Truth B. Told ITS THE ECONOMY STUPID · Answer

Yes, I cleaned up dog poop so the gasses won't filter into the atmosphere, melt the ice caps, and kill polar bears.

lil&#39; autarch · Answer

Best chuckle of the day!  Thanks.  :)

I actually did an undergraduate research paper on global cooling (ca. 1976), and the best I could come up with was "inconclusive".  lol

There was less money behind it then.

O Chimpo · Answer

They were the Al Gores of their time.

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Well, Yesterday was Earth Day?

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