Sheila Terman Cohen - Gaylord Nelson: Champion for Our Earth

Gaylord Nelson

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Gaylord Nelson

Champion for Our Earth

Sheila Terman Cohen

Wisconsin Historical Society Press

Published by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press

Publishers since 1855

2010 by State Historical Society of Wisconsin

E-book edition 2013

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Designed by Jill Bremigan

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The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows:

Cohen, Sheila, 1939

Gaylord Nelson : champion for our Earth / Sheila Terman Cohen.

p. cm. (Badger biographies)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 9780-870204432 1. Nelson, Gaylord, 19162005Juvenile literature. 2. LegislatorsUnited StatesBiographyJuvenile literature. 3. United States. Congress. Senate BiographyJuvenile literature. 4. EnvironmentalistsUnited StatesBiographyJuvenile literature. 5. ConservationistsUnited StatesBiographyJuvenile literature. 6. Earth DayHistoryJuvenile literature. 7. Environmental protectionUnited StatesHistory20th centuryJuvenile literature. 8. United StatesEnvironmental conditionsJuvenile literature. 9. GovernorsWisconsin BiographyJuvenile literature. I. Title.

E748.N43C64 2009

[B]

2009026496

Front cover: Courtesy of Tia Nelson.

Dedicated to my grandsons, Gabriel, Isaac, and Zev, who are learning to be very good keepers of the Earth

Publication was made possible, in part, by gifts from Mrs. Harvey E. Vick of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and from the friends of Ellen Nicolaus Purcell, in her honor. Additional funding was provided by a grant from the Amy Louise Hunter fellowship fund.

Contents

A Man Who Stood Up for His Beliefs

Have you ever believed in something that wasnt popular? Maybe your friends thought that your idea wasnt cool. You may have thought that you could not accomplish very much alone. If so, you probably know how hard it was to stick to your belief. It might have felt easiest to just go along with the crowd. Gaylord Nelson, one of Wisconsins greatest leaders, knew those feelings, too. But he also learned that one persons ideas, words, and actions can change things for the better.

In the 1960s, few people understood that their daily lives were affecting the .

It took him many years, many attempts, and some failures before he was able to convince others that the gifts of our environment were in trouble. The of our environment is the big challenge facing mankind, he warned. Sometimes he found it very hard to stand alone. But Gaylord Nelson believed that each person could do something. So, he kept speaking out and working hard until people began to listen.

In his roles as a state , to honor our planet and to help people find new actions to protect it.

Chances are you and others in your school have helped Gaylord Nelson change the worldeven if you didnt know it. You may have done so by cleaning your school grounds or picking up garbage that was tossed in your favorite park. Maybe you made sure you put your used soda can in a recycling bin. Some of you may have planted a tiny tree in the woods or scattered flower seeds along a roadside. Maybe you did these things on your own. Or maybe you joined with others as part of an Earth Day celebration.

On Earth Day, citizens march near the Wisconsin state capitol.

Earth Day was Gaylord Nelsons idea. He thought, Why not set aside a special day to help people remember that each of us on this planet must take care of our natural resources if we want to continue to enjoy our surroundings? Why not teach people how to care for our natural world? His idea became reality on April 22, 1970, when the first Earth Day took place. Since then, people throughout the country have participated in Earth Day activities. Eventually, the idea stretched from the United States to nations all over the world. In 1990, 140 countries took part in Earth Day events. Since then, Earth Day has brought together more than one billion people for activities to help the environment. Earth Day has become the largest nonreligious event in the world.

Gaylord Nelson strongly believed that each individual could do something to make our Earth a cleaner, safer, and more beautiful place to live. Earth Day seemed to be the spark that caused his belief to spread. began to make laws that would help to protect our environment. People in big cities and small towns began to realize that they needed to do their share, too.

Gaylord Nelsons story is an example of how each of us can do something to improve our own lives and the lives of others. By turning his ideas into actions, he had a powerful effect. He made the world a better place.

The Seeds of Good Ideas