Coronavirus In Minnesota: Denis Hayes, Coordinator Of 1st Earth Day, Talks 'Optimism' In Society's Response To COVID-19
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO)- - Wednesday is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.
The event began in 1970 to encourage people worldwide to think and act as stewards of the environment.
Pope Francis celebrated the Golden Anniversary with a message of hope for the planet, and U2's Bono performed in front of the Colosseum in Rome.
WCCO meteorologist Mike Augustyniak spoke Wednesday with Denis Hayes, who helped organized the first Earth Day in 1970. It was part protest and part celebration, drawing attention to the ways polluted air and water harm all life on earth. He says there's still good reason for optimism.
"If you're completely pessimistic, if you think there's no hope at all, then you don't even try," Hayes said. "And if it turns out there really was a little sliver of opportunity that you could have succeeded, you never will succeed without optimism … I cling to optimism. I have a daughter; I have a granddaughter; I really want them to have a really good world."
Hayes, who was born in Wisconsin, also sees hope in how society is coping with the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Those of us who can, and are able to avoid a commute into work, and the congestion, and the aggravation, and the pollution and the energy consumption, will I think be leaning on their employers to let an increasing fraction of them work at home say one day a week. That would be reducing 20% of the commuters, 20% of the pollution and 20% of the energy consumption," he said.
Because of COVID-19, the U.S. Earth Day celebration had to be moved online, where performances and interactive events will continue to stream live until 10 p.m. Wednesday. Click here for more information.
