Earth Days

Gr 8 Up—This timely look back to the origins of both the Earth Day celebration and the birth of the American environmental movement features valuable archival footage along with narration by nine key players. The late Stewart Udall, former Secretary of the Interior; Paul Ehrlich, author of The Population Bomb; Stewart Brand, creator of the Whole Earth Catalog; and Dennis Hayes, organizer of the first Earth Day are among those whose recollections give meaning to the environmental revolution. The movement's beginnings go back to the publication of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, and historical footage shows the attempted demonization of the book and its author. Viewers will be incredulous at footage showing the spraying of children with DDT and other noxious chemicals with no thought to their toxicity before Carson's book brought about awareness of the dangers of unregulated chemical use. Footage also shows a succession of presidential statements paying lip service to growing environmental awareness. Although there is a bittersweet quality to the memory of the unfulfilled promise of the first Earth Day in 1970, the tone of the film is neither strident nor angry. Rather, there is hope that there may yet be positive movement towards environmental sustainability through the advancement of green technology. The recollections of these environmental pioneers enable viewers to understand the missed opportunities of yesterday and, hopefully, encourage working towards future solutions. A useful tool for environmental science and social history classes.—Eva Elisabeth VonAncken, formerly Trinity-Pawling School Library, NY