THE FIRST Earth Day took place on April 22,1970.Twenty million Americans,about 10% of the U.S.'s population then,demonstrated against the prevalent attitude at the time of ignoring or downplaying environmental issues.Now,fifty years later,Earth Day remains an important event to draw attention to necessary actions to protect the planet.Unfortunately,threats to the environment also persist,including at least one that certainly wasn't as apparent in 1970.In the 1960s,public awareness of environmental issues was increasing,thanks in substantial part to the publication of Rachel Carson's”Silent Spring.”That landmark book warned about the harmful impact of pesticides and put the chemical industry in general in a more critical light.(See:”A Milestone Book Turns 50,”http://bit.ly/2vCA7jQ.)
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