Happy Earth Day! Here's Why We Celebrate

On this Earth Day, you might be lucky enough to spot a bald eagle soaring overhead. If you're in the Pacific Northwest, you could even witness a 50,000-pound humpback whale leaping out of the water just offshore. Both were once considered endangered species, and both are now thriving.

But did you know that these sightings might not even be possible today without the positive changes sparked by the first Earth Day in 1970? Before then, the future of the environment looked bleak. In a 1980 article published in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) journal, scientists wrote:

“Lake Erie was dying, and the other Great Lakes were threatened by pollution from the steel plants, oil refineries, paper mills, and city sewage plants which for the previous one hundred years had befouled the world’s largest fresh water system.”

Something had to be done. And on April 22, 1970, an estimated 20 million Americans took to the streets across the country in massive demonstrations and rallies. This sparked national conversation about the state of the environment, and Earth Day was born. In the decade that followed, sweeping legislation was passed to protect air, water, land and wildlife, including establishing the EPA:

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• 1970 - Clean Air Act
• 1970 - Water Quality Improvement Act
• 1970 - Occupational Safety and Health Act
• 1972 - Clean Water Act
• 1972 - Federal Environmental Pesticide Control Act
• 1973 - Endangered Species Act
• 1974 - Safe Drinking Water Act
• 1976 - Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
• 1976 - Toxic Substances Control Act
• 1976 - Federal Land Policy and Management Act
• 1977 - Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act

“I think it underscores that these are really deep American values,” said Dr. Andrew Pershing, Chief Program Officer at Climate Central, in an interview with The Weather Company. “This is part of our national DNA, and I think there's a really strong spirit in this country of wanting to have a vibrant environment.”

The results speak for themselves. Since Richard Nixon signed the Clean Air Act in 1970, key pollutants have decreased dramatically. Lead levels in our atmosphere have dropped by 98%. Vehicles are now up to 95% cleaner, and sulfur dioxide emissions from power plants are down 90%. This has led to cleaner air and fewer premature deaths, heart attacks, and respiratory issues.

The Clean Water Act has prevented an estimated 700 billion pounds of toxic pollutants from entering our waterways each year. This has helped wetland loss slow down and allowed fish populations to recover in once-polluted rivers and lakes.

“I live here in central New Jersey, one of the most densely populated states in the country, and I regularly see bald eagles,” Pershing noted. “That’s because of the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act that protected the food they rely on. The fact that we now see eagles across the U.S.—our national bird—is because of the work that people did in the 1970s.”

The Safe Drinking Water Act, passed in 1974, now provides 92% of Americans with access to drinking water that meets federal health standards by eliminating more than 90 contaminants. Still, more than 2 million Americans lack access to clean drinking water at home, and nearly a quarter of U.S. households relying on private wells face contamination risks from substances like arsenic and E. coli.

The Fruits of Long-Term Investment

If Earth Day has shown us anything, it’s that change is possible when we work together. From cleaner air to healthier waterways, we’ve seen what coordinated action, legislation and public awareness can achieve.

Back in 1970, less than 0.25% of U.S. electricity came from renewable sources. Today, renewable energy makes up around 9% of total U.S. consumption, and renewable capacity is projected to triple by 2040.

Recycling has also grown dramatically. In 1970, only about 3% of American households recycled. Thanks to education and infrastructure, that number is now around 32%. While there’s still room for improvement, it’s a clear sign of progress.

“Everything is sort of coming together,” Pershing said. “We’re seeing the fruits of that investment made 40 to 50 years ago.”

While Change Has Come, Challenges Remain

Despite the progress, there's still much work to do.

“I'm actually quite worried that climate change could unwind a lot of the great progress that we've made through other environmental rules,” Pershing warned.

According to Climate Central, the contiguous U.S. is now 2.8 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than it was in 1970, with some cities—like Reno—warming nearly 8 degrees Fahrenheit. This rise in temperatures affects everything from farming and wildfire risk to marine ecosystems and our daily lives.

“In the 70s, the science was just starting to emerge about the link between carbon dioxide and warming,” said Pershing. “It wasn’t until the late 80s and early 90s that scientific consensus truly solidified. Since then, we’ve seen year after year of warming as more CO2 enters the atmosphere.”

Pershing explains that the carbon problem has been much harder to deal with, because it’s less visible than the air, water pollution and litter problems faced in 1970, despite the negative impacts being very visible.

A New Chapter for the Planet

The first Earth Day sparked a movement that reshaped our world—and reminded us that recovery is possible. From the return of species once on the brink to the healing of waters once too toxic to touch, we’ve seen what determined action can do. Today, a new generation faces new challenges, but the mission remains the same: protect the only home we’ve got.

Jennifer Gray is a weather and climate writer for weather.com. She has been covering some of the world's biggest weather and climate stories for the last two decades.