Creating a Research Question
Climate change remains a relevant topic despite over fifty years of efforts since the establishment of Earth Day in 1970. It was the starting point for examining US environmental policies’ economic advantages and costs. The situation became critical when intervention was required to preserve essential environmental resources. It is possible to hypothesize that my opinion on the chosen topic after the theoretical investigation might become more foregrounded, and I will change my daily habits to preserve the environment. I care a lot about the environment and understand that my actions can contribute to minor changes. I will study this topic very thoroughly and be sure to incorporate my prior knowledge. Though, when every member of society makes these changes, the situation might change dramatically. I will surely put the lessons learned to good use. For example, I plan to research the topic of reducing the harm I make to Earth, minimizing waste, using public transport or bike to avoid air pollution, save electricity and water.
Building Context to Address Questions
The research question is, “given that earth day was created in 1970, what is the main concerning issue that led to this event being fully recognized as a holiday?” The context of this historical event shows that society acknowledged the severe and irreversible harm of human civilization to the environment. Earth Day was created as a national response to the disruption of ecological stability in the US. Thus, the primary motivation behind my research question is to distinguish what kind of event led to the sudden realization that the government needs new environmental policies. Earth Day marked a significant growth in national knowledge of environmental issues and concerns. The passing of the Clean Air Act of 1970, the founding of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in December 1970, and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, commonly known as the Clean Water Act, were established in fast succession. Much stricter pollution control objectives were created in these two acts, and responsibility for formulating and executing pollution control measures was primarily handed to the federal government.
Examining How Bias Impacts Narrative
The biases in the attitudes to Earth Day reflect the absence of one opinion concerning climate change in society. As the primary source, I explored Anderson’s article, which provided an overview of the Earth Day initiation. It stresses that environmental concern has shifted from a period of awareness to one action (saving the environment) in 1970 (Anderson, 2020). The emphasis is on the individual obligation to progress beyond understanding to an effort to restore human balance with nature (Anderson, 2020). An assessment of the impact of all ways to harm wildlife and its finite resources, as well as options that may minimize environmental damage, must be included. Establishing an ecological ethic that values man’s legacy on the planet is required, as is a commitment to back up this view (Anderson, 2020). He stressed that the components for a successful solution to environmental deterioration exist, people should unify to achieve such goals, and Americans are their best hope for spectacular success in ecological restoration and conservation (Anderson, 2020). Consequently, a slight skepticism towards the project emerged in me.
Consequently, I used the article by Keiser and Shapiro that details patterns in the primary measures of clean air and water law performance from 1970 to 2019. This article illustrates what can be stated about the laws’ involvement in explaining these developments. The author’s primary focus was on the value of these changes to individuals (benefits) and how much they cost (Keiser & Shapiro, 2019). Environmental rules enacted by the federal government impose enormous expenses on American society (Keiser & Shapiro, 2019). Therefore, the ecological problems are serious in modern society, and the past has a critical impact on this situation.
Connecting the Past With the Present
There is an evident connection between the past and the present in the environmental questions. The ecological concerns became challenging to tolerate many decades ago when the first Earth Day was introduced, and the American government ratified the need for changes in the environmental policy. Therefore, humanity reached the limit after which the exploitation of natural resources became impossible. It is possible to conclude that every person should change their habits to reduce environmental harm. It might become a significant contribution that every individual can make to the ecology and the preservation of the planet.
References
Anderson, C. (2020). Current science classroom: Earth day and environmental justice. The Science Teacher, 87(8), 12–15.
Keiser, D. A., & Shapiro, J. S. (2019). US water pollution regulation over the past half century: Burning waters to crystal springs? The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 33(4), 51–75.