Earth Day started the same way a lot of good things do: with people talking, sharing ideas, and deciding to take action together. The rest is history.

Earth Day began in 1970 bringing people together around a simple, shared belief: our environment is worth protecting. Getting there, and getting to where we are today, took both urgent wake-up calls and inspiring acts of courage.

Back then, before the Environmental Protection Agency existed and before many of the protections we now rely on were in place, pollution often went unchecked, harming communities and natural resources. That started to shift thanks in part to Rachel Carson’s groundbreaking book Silent Spring, which helped people see the real impact of environmental harm.

What many people don’t realize is that an important part of the country’s environmental protection story begins right here in New York. In 1963, Con Edison proposed building a power plant on Storm King Mountain. Residents understood that this project wouldn’t just change the view; it would deeply disrupt the Hudson River ecosystem.

So they came together and took action. A small but determined group formed the Scenic Hudson Preservation Conference and challenged the project in court. This was a bold step at the time as taking legal action for environmental causes was uncommon. But this case showed that protecting natural resources matters and that communities deserve a voice in decisions that affect them.

Conceived by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson and planned by activist Denis Hayes, Earth Day was born in 1970. The first year brought an estimated 20 million Americans into streets, parks, and campuses to demand stronger environmental protections. 

Earth Day helped pave the way for major environmental protections like the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Clean Water Act, proving what grassroots action can achieve.

As we celebrate Earth Day this month, it’s important to remember that progress didn’t just happen. It came from people who cared deeply, who spoke up, and who took action. And that’s still true today.

At PTNY, we’re proud to carry that spirit forward by protecting the places we love and building healthier, more connected communities.