The event was held to increase public awareness of the world’s environmental problems. Millions of Americans, including students from thousands of colleges and universities, participated in rallies, marches, and educational programmes.
Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, a staunch environmentalist, came up with the idea to increase ecological awareness. He said: “The objective was to get a nationwide demonstration of concern for the environment so large that it would shake the political establishment out of its lethargy.”
He worked hard to force this issue permanently onto the national political agenda.
Earth Day indeed increased environmental awareness in America, and in July of that year the Environmental Protection Agency was established by special executive order to regulate and enforce national pollution legislation.
Since then, Earth Day has been celebrated by billions around the world.
