Editorial — A work in progress: Earth Day reminds us to protect our planet’s natural resources

Northern New York is blessed to have people and organizations dedicated to preserving the natural resources here. The Save the River group in Clayton was formed in 1978; the Thousand Islands Land Trust in Clayton began in 1985; the Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust in Watertown was founded in 1991; and the Indian River Lakes Conservancy in Redwood was created in 1998.

Earth Day has been commemorated each year since. People have gathered together to express themselves on environmental issues, and cleanup projects have been organized.

It’s good that we acknowledge how significant that Earth Day has been for our society. Therefore, it’s helpful to see how this event came to be.

The environmental problems that had to be addressed were glaring. By the end of the 1960s, it became obvious that solutions were needed.

“Groups that had been fighting individually against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness and the extinction of wildlife united on Earth Day around these shared common values,” according to the Earth Day website. “Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, urban dwellers and farmers, business and labor leaders.”

On April 22, 1970, more than 20 million Americans brought attention to these concerns on the first Earth Day. People from all across the nation participated, including those from the north country.

More than 30 students from Indian River Central School in Philadelphia rode their bicycles to Jefferson Community College to present a plaque to John A. Cecil, assistant professor of geology and chairman of the Committee on Environmental Problems. The Watertown Daily Times participated in the event by noting some of the problems with pollution in this region.

“Today, most of the Black River is starved for oxygen because of organic pollutants, especially wood pulp,” we reported this day in 1970. “Communities continue to dump raw sewage or inadequately treated sewage into it. Only the scavenger fish can support itself in such an environment.”

This motivated community leaders and federal authorities to act.

By the end of 1970, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had been created. In addition, Congress passed the Clean Air Act, National Environmental Education Act, and Occupational Safety and Health Act. And two years later, federal legislators implemented the Clean Water Act.

These actions made a difference.

“Water quality in the Black River has dramatically improved in the past 50 years,” Katie Malinowski, executive director of the New York State Tug Hill Commission, said in a story published April 18, 2020, by the Watertown Daily Times. “There have been significant investments in public sewer treatment plants, agricultural best practices, etc.”

The theme for Earth Day 2023 is “Invest in Our Planet,” and people from Northern New York have committed to this cause.

ACR Health will host an Earth Day Cleanup from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, with participants gathering at 9 a.m. the Mayor Joseph M. Butler Pavilion in Watertown. Individuals may pre-register by visiting wdt.me/sSFFND.

And the Theresa Rotary Club is raising money for worthy projects through its “Earth Day 2023 — Preserving our Legacy for Years to Come” campaign. Funds collected this year will provide further fencing and beautification to Santway Park in the village and support the Indian River Lakes Conservancy’s Project WHIRL — Water and Habitat on the Indian River Lakes. For more information, go to Theresa Rotary’s Facebook page; send emails to Jill Van Hoesen at jillvanhoesen@msn.com; or call 315-783-3206.

We’ve made progress over the past five decades, but more needs to be done. Take some time to reflect on ways we can all reduce pollution, stop wasting energy, recycle material and clean up our planet. Let’s see the advances we’ve made continue.