Local 212 Celebrates Earth Day

Thursday, April 22, is Earth Day! Earth is our home. In fact, this beautiful, blue planet is home to all known life forms. We lovingly call her Mother Earth because she provides us life-sustaining and life-enriching environments. On April 22, 1970, Wisconsin’s U. S. Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed establishing a permanent holiday - Earth Day - in recognition and celebration of the irreplaceable roles of our home planet and her complexes of natural ecosystems. Local 212 of the American Federation of Teachers (ATF) proudly and enthusiastically endorses the celebration of Earth Day and renews our commitment to the principles of conservation and sustainability which it symbolizes.

As emphasized by AFT President Randi Weingarten (American Educator, Winter 2019-2020), “Young people recognize the urgency of the climate crisis that their elders failed to summon. We must join them—pushing for bold political and policy initiatives to reverse climate change and reduce the intertwining issue of economic inequality. Our youth have lit a spark and given us a beacon of hope. We must follow their lead.”