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7-1 Project Submission Alma Contreras Psychology w/conc in Mental Health, Southern New Hampshire University HIS-100 Professor Anand April 13, 2023

Creating a Research Question My topic of choice is the creation of Earth Day. It was during my childhood when I first became aware of the existence of Earth Day when we celebrated it at school. Celebrating Earth Day at my school has helped me gain a deeper understanding of more serious topics related to the reason for the creation of Earth Day. Climate change is one of the topics that come to mind and that I am focusing on as it affects us all. Our water supply, food supply, and survival depend on global climate patterns. Due to our neglect of the consequences of our actions on the environment, climate change is occurring rapidly. There is a significant debate on climate change in which some individuals deny its existence while others attempt to enact laws or make changes to the environment. Knowing all of this helped me decide on my topic, which was climate change and its impact on the creation of Earth Day. My historical research question regarding climate change is: Since Earth Day has been celebrated for over fifty years, why has climate change progress stagnated? Since climate change is controversial, my research questions relate to my current climate change event. Although climate change is occurring and addressing it is vital to the planet's survival, many people refuse to acknowledge its occurrence. In researching the creation of Earth Day, we find that at the beginning, politicians accepted the problem of the warning of the environment. Considering current events, it is evident that politicians are ignoring signs of climate change; in doing so, many people also turn a blind eye to the adverse effects of climate change. We must understand why we disregard climate change's detrimental consequences if we have advocated for the environment for over 50 years. To develop my research questions, I consulted several primary and secondary sources. The first primary article I read was Speaking for the Earth ; this article provided me with a

broader understanding of the people involved in the organization of Earth Day. This article offers an account of Earth Day as seen through the eyes of the American environmentalists who founded and spoke at the event's inception. A notable example is Gaylord Nelson's statement, "They think it is a politically useful statement since 80 percent of Americans claim to be environmentalists" (Ruben, 1995). The statement prompted me to question why significant political disagreements exist surrounding climate change and other environmental issues if more than half of us claim to be environmentalists. In addition, Nelson explains, "We wanted to elicit a nationwide demonstration of environmental concern so great that it would shake the political establishment from its lethargy and finally force the issue into the political arena permanently" (Ruben, 1995). In 'Meet Mr. Earth Day,' The Man Who Helped Organize the Annual Observance, the author discusses how the event successfully pushed environmental issues into the political arena. Consequently, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the RCRA were all enacted. The creation of Earth Day contributed to the development of laws that contribute to the planet's health. These acts became law as a result of significant political pressure. In light of the laws passed to improve the earth's condition as a result of Earth Day, one may wonder why there is no law to combat climate change. Furthermore, why do many Americans have a controversial view of climate change even though over half of us claim to be environmentalists, and why have politicians and governments become ignorant of climate change's effects? My secondary sources were two articles in academic journals entitled How Earth Day Took Root and Earth Day: 50 Years of Continuity and Change in Environmentalism . The articles discussed Earth Day's origins and the environmental movement's creation, contributing to the

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current environmental crisis. Each of these sources presented me with several challenges. Firstly, they enabled me to narrow down the specific events that led to the creation of the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act. By studying these events, I better understood why The National Environmental Policy Act was created and how it influences current environmental legislation. It was initially my intention to analyze the effectiveness of Earth Day in teaching about climate change when I selected my research topic. In researching my first question, I was able to answer it; however, by returning to my sources, I began to ask other questions that led to other questions relating to my final research question. Learning about Earth Day's past, present, and future helps establish a more focused research question. Building Context to Address Questions A combination of pollution from mills and industry, toxic water and rain, and horrible breathing conditions led to the founding of the Earth Day movement. On April 22, 1970, a national awareness day was established to recognize the importance of the environment, making it the first Earth Day. Congress passed several pieces of legislation following the success of the first Earth Day. As a result, Congress would mandate the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the agency responsible for cleaning up air pollution. The Clean Air Act explicitly addresses pollution from industrial sources. Congress authorized the EPA to determine each industry's "best system of emission reduction" (Turrentine, 2022). During the Obama Administration 2015, the Clean Power Plan was created. Using emission controls on power plants and switching to cleaner forms of energy, this plan aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions (Turrentine, 2020). In response to the clean power plan, coal companies, parts of the power industry, and some states, including West Virginia, will sue the

EPA to avoid its implementation. As a result, the Trump administration will repeal the Clean Power Plan as part of the Affordable Clean Energy rule. In 2021, the United States of America will declare the repeal of the Clean Power Plan invalid. Coal companies and allied states petitioned the Supreme Court in order to reverse the decision of the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. In a recent ruling, the Supreme Court ruled that the EPA is not authorized to regulate carbon emissions by requiring coal-fired power plants to convert to wind, solar, or other cleaner fuel sources. EPA standards can, however, require individual facilities to install new pollution-control measures (Turrentine,2020). After Earth Day's first celebration, it has become increasingly committed to ensuring that all living organisms are treated respectfully. Earth Day has helped ensure new laws and reinforce past laws addressing our environment, including climate change. Earth Day keeps reinforcing the urgency of our Earth. During this period, Denis Hayes, who created the Earth Day staff and organized the event, played an essential role in history. "Denis Hayes, a graduate student at Harvard, snagged a 10-minute meeting with Gaylord Nelson, a United States senator from Wisconsin who had been talking up his idea for a national teach-in about environmentalism" (Schwartz, 2020). Hayes met with Senator Gaylord Nelson, a Democrat, for a 10-minute meeting that lasted two hours. Thus, Hayes served as the primary organizer of the Annual Observance: "Senator [Gaylord] Nelson contacted me to build his staff and organize the event" (Waxman, 2019). During his childhood, Denis Hayes lived where industrial mills polluted the air and contaminated rainwater. His upbringing influenced his desire to improve the world for himself, others, and future generations.

Examining How Bias Impacts Narrative When researching the historical event, I identified several narratives. According to the first source, Speaking for the Earth, Earth Day was organized by five key players who were involved in organizing the first Earth Day. As a result, it provided an insight into what each individual thought about Earth Day during the time of its founding as well as the time of its founding today. During the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War, each individual provided a positive perspective on the need for Earth Day. "At the first Earth Day, people were finally aware of population pressure. However, the enthusiasm of the young people was not sustained. The environment went on the political backburner as short-term economics and the Cold War became chief issues" (Ruben, 1995). In the other source, How Earth Day Took Root, detailed information is provided regarding how Earth Day came into being. Since Denis Hayes grew up in a poor neighborhood, he witnessed firsthand the harmful effects of pollution in a poor environment. Thus, he became determined to show the world what needed to be done by the people, which resulted in the creation of Earth Day. Despite their differences, the similarities between my sources demonstrate how each holds Earth Day in a positive light while also placing political officials in a negative light through critical language choices. The Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War occurred in the middle of all my sources. The concept of biased perspectives refers to the possibility that while one person may have some very positive or negative things to say about an event, another individual who witnessed the same event from a different perspective may feel or view it differently. The environmentalist beliefs and values of the founding members and organizers of the first Earth Day influenced their writing. In response to a question regarding Ira Einhorn, an Earth Day

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speaker, Hayes responded, "I thought that idea had long been forgotten." Having announced only one Earth Day in one city, he was a marginal figure in the organization. I would not include him among the fifty individuals who organized the first Earth Day (Waxman, 2019). When downplaying the murderer, the organization maintained a positive perception of Earth Day. A second source, Speaking for the Earth, provides five perspectives on Earth Day from its inception until its publication in 1995. A bias is present in each of the five speakers' viewpoints. For example, Gaylord Nelson describes the objective as "to get such a large demonstration of concern for the environment that the political establishment would be shaken out of its lethargy, and the issue would be brought into the public spotlight." (Ruben, 1995). Nelson generally shows a negative bias toward politics, indicating that he believed politicians of his day were not very concerned about the environment and other issues of the time. According to my first primary source, Speaking for the Earth by Barbara Ruben, five different perspectives were offered by people who viewed Earth Day from various perspectives. Because Gaylord Nelson believed that politicians did not care about the environment, he wanted Earth Day to get political parties involved. Charles Hayes provided another perspective, stating that the black and poor population has already been affected by pollution and that the fight for a better environment will succeed only if everyone assists and is entirely focused on the goal. The historical event I have chosen has been told from various perspectives by my primary sources. A few versions of Earth Day that will give us a more in-depth understanding of its creation are the African American community and politicians, which are likely to have their narratives describing their version of Earth Day that has yet to be included. The reason for this is that, throughout my research, many people have expressed their negative views of politicians in the past, and Earth Day occurred during the Civil

Rights Movement, which meant that many African Americans were battling for their rights during this period. Considering the perspective of African Americans on Earth Day, we can gain a deeper understanding of how they feel and what politicians believe about the harm caused to the environment if we examine how they perceive Earth Day. Since modern society has made it a habit to include all kinds of diversity in serious issues, the current event, Climate Change, is told from multiple narratives. There are no groups not included in my current topic, but if there are Providing a different perspective, Charles Hayes stated that the black and poor population have already been adversely affected by pollution and that a better environment will only be achieved if everyone works together and is focused on the goal. According to my sources, the historical event I have chosen has been described from various perspectives. Several versions of Earth Day may provide a deeper understanding of its creation, including those from the African American community and politicians, who may have written narratives describing their version of Earth Day that has yet to be incorporated into the celebration. According to my research, many people have expressed their negative views of politicians in the past, and Earth Day occurred during the Civil Rights Movement, during which time many African Americans were fighting for their rights. When we examine how African Americans perceive Earth Day, we can better understand how they feel and what politicians believe about the harm caused to the environment. Connecting the Past With the Present Since Earth Day has been celebrated for over fifty years, why has climate change progress stagnated? An essential focus of the research question is the sociology of people from the past and present, as well as the outcomes and results of Earth Day's creation. By carefully reading the provided sources, I could identify past events, Earth Day's creation, and current events regarding climate change. As evidenced by my sources discussing Earth Day's origins,

climate change has always been a primary concern throughout my research. In his article, John Schwartz discusses Denis Hayes, founder of Earth Day, and the neighborhood he grew up in, stating that pollution was at a high level as a result of acid rain, heavy smoke, and polluted water (Schwartz, 2020), and the neighborhood in which he grew up as an example. Hayes dedicated his life to redressing the wrongs of pollution caused by his generation, which resulted in global warming. As a result of considering my beliefs, assumptions, and values about Earth Day and global warming, my daily information processing has been positively impacted. A significant takeaway is that I more aware of how I make decisions and judgments. My judgments or decisions should not be based solely on my assumptions, beliefs, or values since these could lead to conclusions about people and other things. I need to look at more than one narrative to obtain the complete picture and process information from multiple sources. This way, I can examine a particular topic or subject from various perspectives to get a well-rounded perspective and maintain objectivity

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References Davies, N. (2020, May). EARTH DAY. Geographical, 92(5), 36+. https://link-gale- com.ezproxy.snhu.edu/apps/doc/A625789746/AONE?u=nhc_main&sid=bookmark- AONE&xid=653baf9e Dietz, T. (2020). Earth Day: 50 Years of Continuity and Change in Environmentalism. One Earth , 2 (4), 306–308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2020.04.003 Ruben, B. (1995). Speaking for the Earth. Environmental Action, 27(1), 11. Schwartz, J. (2020, April 21). How Earth Day Took Root. New York Times. https://link-gale- com.ezproxy.snhu.edu/apps/doc/A621457644/OVIC?u=nhc_main&sid=bookmark- OVIC&xid=b1fe1555 Turrentine, J. (2022, July 7). The Supreme Court's EPA ruling, explained . West VA vs. EPA: Supreme Court Ruling and Climate Change. Retrieved April 23, 2023, from https://www.nrdc.org/stories/supreme-courts-epa-ruling-explained Waxman, O. B. (2019, April 19). Meet ‘Mr. Earth Day,’ the Man Who Helped Organize the Annual Observance . Time. Retrieved March 10, 2023, from https://time.com/5570269/earth-day-origins/

7-1 Project Submission

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