Res. No. 1285 Title Resolution commemorating April 22, 2000 as the 30th Anniversary of Earth Day and urging all New Yorkers to join in its celebration. Body By the Speaker (Council Member Vallone) and Council Members Michels, Berman, DiBrienza, Malave-Dilan, Freed, Henry, Lopez, Nelson and Stabile; also Council Members Eisland, Fisher, Foster, Harrison, Koslowitz, Leffler, Marshall, Miller, O'Donovan, Perkins, Pinkett, Povman, Quinn, Rivera, Robinson, Wooten and Golden Whereas, This year marks the 30th Anniversary of Earth Day; and Whereas, The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, during which time an estimated twenty million people in the United States attended events held in every state and nearly every city and county to focus national attention on the environment; and Whereas, Here in New York City, Mayor John Lindsay closed Fifth Avenue to automobiles and more than 100,000 people attended an ecology fair in Central Park; and Whereas, The United States Congress adjourned for the day so that members of the House and Senate could participate in environmental events in their districts; and Whereas, Earth Day was designed to make environmental protection a major national issue that elected officials had to address; and Whereas, The first Earth Day inspired a burst of legislative activity in Congress, all 50 states and in many municipalities; and Whereas, During the decade that followed, Congress passed 28 major pieces of legislation designed to improve the environment, including the Clean Air Act of 1970, the Clean Water Act of 1972, the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, and the Surface Mining and Control Act of 1977; and Whereas, The City Council has embraced environmental protection as one of its critical missions and has passed a host of environmental legislation since the first Earth Day, including laws on recycling, the use of alternative fuels, the right of citizens to know about the use of hazardous substances in their communities, the regulation of medical waste disposal, the banning of apartment house incinerators, the development of risk management plans by companies that use toxic substances and other laws to protect and maintain the quality of our air, land and water for future generations; and Whereas, The first Earth Day was a huge success because of the enthusiastic response of people at the grassroots level who cared about the Earth and its environment; and, Whereas, On Sunday, April 16, 2000, Earth Day New York, a non-profit organization formed in 1989 by a coalition of environmental groups, will host Earth Fair 2000, a free one-day environmental theme park in Battery Park and the South Street Seaport sponsored by a consortium of government agencies, environmental groups and corporations which will feature interactive exhibits, music and activities to celebrate our environment; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York commemorates April 22, 2000 as the 30th Anniversary of Earth Day and urges all New Yorkers to join in its celebration.