top of page

The late 1960s and early 1970s was a time of change and awareness, especially regarding our environment and how to educate others about it.  The first Earth Day activities (April 22, 1970) focused on discussions about the population explosion and its impact on the earth's health and resources.  More people meant more trash, more vehicles in use, more natural resources used.  Pristine environments became worse for wear, blue skies turned muddy brown, parks and public areas were neglected and unkempt.  The problems around us became visible.  What could we do about it?

Issues of the time - why a club?
Littering

It started with one teacher seeing the mess students left after themselves post-lunchtime.  Speaking with a janitor, who just took it in stride, but not being happy with it.  Photos helped illustrate the point, and the students began to see what they were doing.  This extended to cleaning up other environments as well.

Pollution - Air

This was obvious. The muddy brown air that most of us experienced during most of the year was becoming very familiar over the decade of the 60s.  The physical effects, the coughing, wheezing, tightness in the chest after sports, affected us all.  The truth was that the Inland Empire where we lived had some of the worst smog alert events ever in history up to that time.  What actions could help improve our air?

Landfills

The world's population was booming.  We heard of famine and its effects all over the world, and we were also aware that all those people were creating a LOT of trash.  As we participated in litter clean-ups, we questioned where all that trash would go?  Was nothing reusuable?

Deforestation

Deforestation was not only about wholesale logging in the United States and in the Amazon, it was also about eliminating a vital source of clean air.  Trees used our carbon dioxide to provide us with oxygen, and suddenly we realized that trees were not only NOT the enemy, but also our necessary partners on earth.  Locally, San Bernardino was surrounded by beautiful mountains that had suffered from extended damage due to fires caused by both nature and man - was it possible to return our environment to its former condition?

bottom of page