Today is Earth Day.
Fifty years ago today, this "holiday" was first observed. (I wonder whether some company or organization gives its employees a paid day off.) Interestingly, the then-nascent environmental movement coincided with the origins of modern campaigns for gender equality and LGBT rights--and what was, arguably, the peak of the Civil Rights and anti-Vietnam War movements.
It also was about the time the North American Bike Boom was gaining momentum. At that time, cycling was seen as integral to "helping the planet." That connection became more tenuous during the 1980s and 1990s, as environmental concerns receded from public consciousness and too many cyclists acted like wannabe racers. (I admit, I was one of them!)
Today, while the mass gatherings normally associated with Earth Day are not possible, given the COVID-19 epidemic, we can (at least in most places) still ride to wherever we need to go--or simply to get out of our rooms, apartments or houses!
Fifty years ago today, this "holiday" was first observed. (I wonder whether some company or organization gives its employees a paid day off.) Interestingly, the then-nascent environmental movement coincided with the origins of modern campaigns for gender equality and LGBT rights--and what was, arguably, the peak of the Civil Rights and anti-Vietnam War movements.
It also was about the time the North American Bike Boom was gaining momentum. At that time, cycling was seen as integral to "helping the planet." That connection became more tenuous during the 1980s and 1990s, as environmental concerns receded from public consciousness and too many cyclists acted like wannabe racers. (I admit, I was one of them!)
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| From Bike and Roll DC |
Today, while the mass gatherings normally associated with Earth Day are not possible, given the COVID-19 epidemic, we can (at least in most places) still ride to wherever we need to go--or simply to get out of our rooms, apartments or houses!
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