To commemorate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, a renowned lawyer and environmental activist advocated for the institution of drastic changes to United States environmental policy at Monona Terrace Wednesday.
Waterkeeper Alliance President Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is the son of former U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, has been one of the leading promoters of renewed energy policy in the last 25 years, Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies Interim Director Gregg Mitman said.
Mitman said Kennedy is extremely qualified to contribute to a celebration of the first Earth Day due to his in-depth explorations of the meaning and impact of environmental problems on current and future societies.
Since the first Earth Day, environmental activists have continually striven to force people to realize nature is the infrastructure of community and is the source of the values, virtues and character of the people, Kennedy said.
He added if someone pollutes or destroys the natural surroundings, he or she is wrongfully stealing a possession of the whole community in order to generate a profit.
The coal and oil industries that commit these acts of theft not only produce environmental conditions that are seriously harmful to the U.S. population, but also permanently devastate natural landscapes, Kennedy said.
He emphasized these problems must be addressed immediately because if they are not, entire mountain ranges will be flattened and Americans will suffer from a continually higher frequency of congenital defects and other serious health problems.
Since the U.S. ranks number two in the world in solar energy potential, it could alter its energy policy without immense difficulty, yet the lack of true free-market capitalism inhibits that, Kennedy said.
“A true free market would force us to properly value our resources,” Kennedy said. “In a true free market, you can’t make yourself rich without making your neighbors rich and without enriching your community.”
Kennedy added alterations in environmental policy can also result in improvements to the national economic situation, which should be measured by its effectiveness of preserving the value of communal resources.
Kennedy’s father became a U.S. senator at the same time as Gaylord Nelson, the founder of Earth Day, and Kennedy’s father shared a desk with the environmental activist.
Nelson could have never in his wildest dreams predicted the legacy his work and commitment would leave, as Earth Day was originally just a one-day teach-in to inspire awareness and appreciation of the earth’s environment, his daughter Executive Secretary of the Wisconsin Board of Commissioners of Public Lands Tia Nelson said.
“All of you have similar power, and I encourage you to use that power to make every day Earth Day,” Nelson said.
While the movement to change environmental policy is inspirational, it is going to take a lot of work and time from several people since many citizens may not desire to invest in something that does not have immediate benefits, said UW sophomore and Community Environmental Scholar Azaria Posik, who attended the lecture.
