Today is Earth Day. Originally spearheaded in 1970 by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson as a national “teach-in” on urgent environmental issues, it has since become an internationally recognized holiday in 174 countries. Earth Day is partially credited with jump-starting the modern environmentalist movement, and helping to pass legislation like the Clean Air and Clean Water acts.

According to Chas Clifton’s book “Her Hidden Children: The Rise of Wicca and Paganism in America” the Earth Day celebrations of 1970 also marked an important turning point in American Paganism.

“…if there was a year when Wicca (in the broad sense) became “nature religion,” as opposed to the “mystery religion” or “metaphorical fertility religion” labels that it had brought from England, that year was 1970 … Wicca and other forms of new American Paganism stepped right through the door that Earth Day had opened for them – or, perhaps more accurately, the door whose opening the first Earth Day merely marked.”

Back in 1970 most of the dominant American religious traditions (especially many Christian traditions) were indifferent to environmental concerns, which allowed Paganism in America to position itself as almost singularly concerned (from a religious perspective) with the environmental well-being of our planet. In the nearly forty years since Earth Day’s founding that has changed, and now environmentalism of one form or another can be found in most of America’s religious traditions.

“In February, the Evangelical Climate Initiative released a statement, “Climate Change: An Evangelical Call to Action,” that argues global warming is real and that it will devastate the earth’s poor. The statement was criticized by conservative Christian groups, especially some leaders of the National Association of Evangelicals. Since then, the NAE leadership has had a change of heart and now publicly supports protection of the environment, what they call ‘creation care.’”

But as previously antagonistic sections of our population start to come around to a more environmentally conscious point of view, some environmental activists are wondering if Earth Day has outlived its usefulness.

“Earth Day, which every year has become less and less the revolutionary event it once was, seems this year to have entered a new phase of meaninglessness … The biggest problem with Earth Day is that it has become a ritual of sympathy for the idea of environmental sanity. Small steps, we’re told, ignoring the fact that most of the steps most frequently promoted (returning your bottles, bringing your own bag, turning off the water while you brush your teeth) are of such minor impact (compared to our ecological footprints) that they are essentially meaningless without larger, systemic action as well … the solar bikinis and greenwashing campaigns cluttering up this Earth Day no longer look benign or amusing. They’re taking attention and costing us time we might spend creating real change — and time lost is catastrophe brought nearer.”

Larger systemic change isn’t being held up by the will of the people, recent polls suggest that a majority of Americans are aware of and worried about global warming, clean air, clean water, and sustainability. What is holding us up are entrenched corporate interests and their allies in government who want to sustain profits at the expense of everything else. It will take electing politicians with the political will (and voting out those who don’t) to make the necessary changes for our long-term benefit.

That isn’t to say that changes in lifestyle aren’t important (they are), but that lifestyle changes alone are no longer enough. Our government has to reflect our growing concern with these issues. Lets stop making this holiday a photo-op and start making it an opportunity to hold their feet to the fire (that is melting Greenland).

PS – Check out Grist’s second annual Earth Day list of the year’s goodies, oddities, and inanities.

Tags: Earth Day, enviornmentalism, Paganism, Wicca