Earth Day. Today. Good idea. Now let's move on.
And why not? For most people, most of the time, Earth Day has become just that. A thought. An idea.
And a fleeting one at that.
Details surrounding the first Earth Day, founded in 1970 by U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, seem from another time and planet.
Nelson primarily organized the event as an environmental teach-in, with classes nationwide in universities, high schools and grade schools.
Declaration of this first day dedicated to the Earth followed a decade or more of ecological catastrophes, including those noted by Rachel Carson in 1962 with the publication of her book, "Silent Spring," which detailed the deleterious effects of widespread use of DDT.
But more than schools and schoolchildren were involved in the first Earth Day. The front page headline of the New York Times read "Millions join Earth Day observances across the nation."
A few excerpts: