Caroline Griffith, NEC Executive Director
Here at the NEC, we view Earth Day as our conceptual birthday: we were founded in 1971, shortly after the original Earth Day, as a place for activists to come together to share information and organize around issues affecting the environment, from deforestation to pesticides, from nuclear proliferation to loss of biodiversity. Many of the same forces that damage the environment also suppress the rights of working people, so in recent years we’ve extended our celebration from Earth Day to May Day, in honor of International Workers Day.
Our predecessors understood the link between workers’ rights and the rights of the environment, as evidenced by this smattering of articles from old issues of EcoNews. In many cases, workers are the first to sound the alarm about harmful practices, including the use of toxic chemicals or pesticides (for example firefighters speaking out about PFAS or farmworkers organizing to stop use of pesticides) or abuse of power (striking lumber workers pointing out exorbitant company profits made at the expense of workers and the land). And really, if you think about it, we’re all workers. So let’s get ready to celebrate – from Earth Day all the way to May Day – our collective power as environmentalists and workers. Join us at Pierson Park in McKinleyville on April 21 to kick off the celebration. Check out the next page for more details on Earth Month events.