Earth Day Turns 50

By Adam Conley

 In honor of the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Earth Day on April 22, this article has been updated from the original, published in the April 2014 edition of Northwest Prime Time.

It’s not often you meet someone who says they face each day excited about the work that lies before them. So it is with Denis Hayes, prominent environmental activist, national coordinator of the first Earth Day and president of the Seattle-based Bullitt Foundation since 1992.

“I have the gigantic good fortune to get up in the morning and work on something I care about,” proclaims Denis with infectious enthusiasm.

To engage Denis Hayes in conversation is to enter into his world for a moment and become inspired by the many things that clearly light his fire. This articulate, intelligent, thoughtful man speaks with passion and conviction that both compels and energizes.

The Hayes family moved from Espinola, Ontario to Camas, Washington in 1950. It was here, growing up a stone’s throw from the banks of the Columbia River, that Denis began to cultivate a love for nature and the outdoors.

Denis’ father made his living at the local paper mill as was the case with most men of that time and place. Denis recalls his father held hardworking, conservative values. He also possessed a certain stoic pride in his role as the operator of paper machine No. 10, which was responsible for producing paper that wrapped frozen food products.

To Denis’ father and the rest of the town, the sulfur dioxide and other chemical pollutants thrown off by the paper mill were tolerated as “the smell of prosperity.” As Denis recalls, nobody at the time realized the inordinate amount of rust and corrosion destroying their automobiles was the same stuff they were breathing. In addition to premature deaths associated with the pollution, most working men were deaf by the age of 50 or 55 due to the thunderous noise from the equipment they worked with at the mill.

“For the first seventeen years of my life,” recalls Denis, “I had a nagging sore throat.” However, this did not stop him from hopping on his bike to explore the surrounding Columbia River Basin or hiking through the nearby forests. Denis remembers exploring green verdant forests, only to be suddenly disoriented by stumbling across a clear-cut wasteland, or “moonscape” in his parlance, that had been sacrificed to feed the mill. “[The mill was] a great digesting machine, continually devouring the forests we’d go hiking in,” he explains.

Denis remembers a happy childhood growing up in Camas. The 40 mile round-trip bicycle ride to the Beacon Rock area of the Columbia River was, and continues to be, one of the most beautiful natural spots in the world to Denis.

One of many pivotal moments in his life took place in 1961 as a junior at Camas High School (now named for him). Denis enrolled in an ecology seminar where he read Eugene Odum’s classic text Fundamentals of Ecology. This planted the seed that shaped Denis’ values and continues to make a global impact on the relationship humans have with this blue and green globe we call home.

As his teenaged years unfolded into adulthood, Denis spent two years at Clark Community College before deciding to hitchhike around the world. A feverish bug for adventure and world travel had fully settled in.

After failing to get a job on a ‘round-the-world cargo ship, Denis managed to secure a $99 passage on a vessel headed to Hawaii. He lived the carefree life of a Waikiki surfer for a while and worked as a disc jockey at KNDI radio station in Honolulu.

Eventually, Denis managed to get himself to Japan, where his ‘round-the-world adventure continued. With savings amassed over the summer, Denis, at age 20, began a hitchhiking odyssey that took him all over the world. He has visited over 140 countries in his lifetime.

Denis traversed places that today would be unthinkable for their instability and threat to Americans. But in the mid-1960s, it was possible to travel just about anywhere in the world, including countries behind the Iron Curtain. Denis spent time in Eastern Europe, even train-hopping as far as Siberia on the Trans-Siberian Railway, and hitchhiked through the Middle East.

He then made his way down the West Coast of Africa. “I wanted to experience all the different parts of the world,” exclaims Denis, “and I must honestly confess that most of what I found in developing nations was quite depressing.”

But it was in Southwest Africa, a place that is now called Namibia, that Denis experienced a second pivotal, life-changing experience. Indeed, this moment might be defined as a kind of crucible that forged the Denis Hayes we now know, giving him clarity of purpose for how he would spend the rest of his life.

There is a certain timeless beauty to the details of this story that could belong to the mystics and sages of any age. He was out in the middle of the desert and alone. The night sky was clear and encrusted with stars, brilliantly illuminating everything. Denis was very hungry and as darkness set in, so did a deep chill. At a precise moment in Denis’ memory, a wave of something deep and profound passed through his body. He believes he was experiencing an epiphany—a realization that there must be a way to look for and identify certain organizing principles that explain the world.

“I began to wonder what it would be like if we began to bind ourselves to the principles of ecology,” reflects Denis. He stayed up all night, alive with a buzzing energy and awareness more powerful than his hunger or cold. As the sun rose in the eastern sky, Denis quite simply declares, “I knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.”

Remarkably, he applied to only one university, Stanford, and was accepted. He was drawn there by influential academics connected to the university at that time: the eminent biologist and professor of population studies Paul Ehrlich and Don Kennedy, who later became president of Stanford.

When he entered Stanford, Denis was convinced he was coming back to make a real and meaningful impact. He became deeply politically active. He was elected student body president and was involved in the anti-war and civil rights movements.

Denis knew he wanted to apply his new-found principles to better the world we live in and decided on the influential spheres of law and government. Upon graduating from Stanford, he applied to Harvard University. He was selected to enroll in what is of what is now called the Masters in Public Policy program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

---

On April 22, 1970, an estimated 20 million people came together in virtually every city, town, village and crossroad in the country for the world’s first Earth Day, an event coordinated by Denis Hayes

---

---

The Bullitt Foundation offices are located in The Bullitt Center, a Seattle office building known as "The Greenest Commercial Building in the World" – photo by Nic Lehoux

---

---

Denis Hayes and his wife Gail. Together, they have written a book, COWED, detailing how cows are the second most influential species of mammal on our continent. Photo by Leah Boyer

---

But in the autumn of 1969, something else began stirring. Senator Gaylord Nelson was calling for an environmental teach-in at colleges and universities. Denis sought a meeting with Senator Nelson and flew down to Washington DC; what was supposed to be a courtesy appointment turned into a lengthy, impassioned conversation between two like-minded individuals. Pete McCloskey, another politician (who would go on in 1973 to co-author The Endangered Species Act), entered the conversation. Together they persuaded Denis to drop out of Harvard to organize a major nationwide event to promote environmental awareness on university campuses. At that time, interest in environmental and ecological issues, though growing, was still fairly tepid on college campuses. It was Denis’ decision to rename the environmental teach-in “Earth Day” and move it mostly off college campuses and into the broader community.

On April 22, 1970, an estimated 20 million people came together in virtually every city, town, village and crossroad in the country for the world’s first Earth Day.

Earth Day was another pivotal experience for Denis. “I’m so proud of what we accomplished back then, and what we continue to accomplish. But of course, we still have a long, long way to go.” He went on to oversee the Earth Day Network, a nonprofit that promotes Earth Day and all it stands for. Now recognized in 192 countries, Earth Day is the world’s largest observed secular holiday.

When asked about the tangible impact of Earth Day, Denis points to legislation like the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act and the founding of the Environmental Protection Agency, all of which became reality in the early 1970s.

“Earth Day got people talking about the value of the environment, and the importance of its protection and survival for our own survival,” reflects Denis.

Denis reminds us that it was often pro-environment Republicans like Pete McCloskey, Chuck Percy, John Lindsay—even Richard Nixon, who worked with Democrats to make environmental legislation a reality.

“Richard Nixon was a bit tough and old-school—not unlike my dad. He might say, ‘Why whine about a little bit of grit in the air?’ but he created the EPA by presidential executive order and chose Bill Ruckelshaus to head it,” observes Denis with a chuckle. “Nixon wasn’t much of an environmentalist, but he was a very savvy politician.”

Denis Hayes was appointed head of the Solar Energy Research Institute during the Carter administration. When the Reagan administration slashed 80% of funding for solar energy, Denis went back to Stanford to complete his Juris Doctor degree.

In 1992, the children and heirs of Dorothy Bullitt, founder of KING broadcasting in Seattle, met with Denis as they were considering a more specific focus for the Bullitt Foundation. The conversation went well and Denis was hired as the foundation’s president. The Bullitt Foundation’s focus has been on “safeguard[ing] the natural environment by promoting responsible human activities and sustainable communities in the Pacific Northwest.”

With his new position, Denis was delighted to return to the region where he grew up. “We are fortunate to live in the most beautiful spot on the planet,” he says.

Part of what inspires him in his work at the Bullitt Foundation is the realization that much more can be done to promote sustainability and environmentally friendly practices in all aspects of business and industry. “The gap between what is being done today and what is necessary for a genuinely sustainable future is enormous,” he laments.

But there are bright spots. When the Bullitt Center, an office building and the foundation’s headquarters, was built, it was judged “The Greenest Commercial Building in the World” by Architect magazine. Located at 1501 East Madison Street in Seattle, the Bullitt Center was the first sixstory structure in the world so very efficient that it generates more energy from solar panels on its roof (in the cloudiest major city in the contiguous 48 states) than it uses. Everything, from its non-toxic building materials to its composting toilets, use of rain for all drinking water and “irresistible stairway,” promotes the greenest, most sustainable building practices available.

“The Bullitt Center cost about as much per square foot as other Class A office buildings in Seattle,” says Denis. “Of course, solar panels cost more than asphalt shingles. But other comparable office buildings have things like granite counter-tops, Carrera marble, Chihuly sculptures and parking garages. We spent that money instead on solar energy, rainwater purification, ultra-efficient windows and external venetian blinds. Instead of marble from Italy, we used beautiful, carbon-storing wood from local FSC forests. The Center is still a strikingly gorgeous building— we just chose to spend our money on deep green design instead of conventional fixtures.”

On a more personal level, Denis and his wife Gail cowrote a book entitled Cowed, about the impact of cows on America. After humans, “cows are the most influential species on our continent,” asserts Denis. “Gail and I are pro-cow-in-moderation. Ninety-three million cows is way too many.”

Denis and Gail have a daughter working as an attorney in Washington DC for the progressive American Constitution Society. Their son-inlaw, a former Navy Seal, engineer and Stanford MBA, is the CEO of a startup seeking to commercialize innovative NASA materials for high tech. Their granddaughter is both “a genius and an athlete!”

When asked if he plans to retire, 75-year-old Denis confesses that he views retirement with dread. He still “jumps out of bed at 5:30 every morning eager to do what I do.” However, he concedes that he owes it to his wife to commit eventually to some form of retirement.

“Having traveled to 120 countries by the time I was 25, I now generally travel only with a purpose. But Gail still has many places on her bucket list” says Denis.

He is looking forward with special eagerness to the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22. “I’ll probably roll it up then,” he says He encourages everyone to get involved in Earth Day activities now and leading up to its Golden Anniversary (www.earthday. org).

Denis has announced a change in his role at the Bullitt Foundation: “My change at Bullitt—moving from President to Board chair, but remaining CEO—will be mostly a matter of moving from full time to part time. I’m not sure how I will use all my new free time, but I have accumulated more than 100 books that I want to read, I hope to write a book or two of my own, and I mostly plan to do whatever my wife decides to do. It’s definitely her turn.”

When invited to offer some advice for Northwest Prime Time readers, Denis reflects that he comes from a generation that “never trusted anyone over the age of 30.” Now that his generation is running the world, he thinks that is still good advice. “People with authority are always too bound up by perceived constraints. Real change tends to emerge outside the power structure at the grassroots. People are most free to follow their conscience when they are very young or very old. I’d like to use Earth Day to create a new partnership of my fellow boomers with the young folks now in college or at the start of their careers. Although we’ve made great strides on many environmental issues, the big issues—climate disruption, population growth, the epidemic of extinction, worldwide loss of topsoil, the poisoning of the oceans— continue to worsen.”

Denis pauses for a minute before continuing. “Our future is in our own hands—especially those of us at the beginning and end of our lives who have the freedom to get out there and make a difference. Like that shoe company in Portland keeps exhorting us, ‘Just do it!’”

But in the autumn of 1969, something else began stirring. Senator Gaylord Nelson was calling for an environmental teach-in at colleges and universities. Denis sought a meeting with Senator Nelson and flew down to Washington DC; what was supposed to be a courtesy appointment turned into a lengthy, impassioned conversation between two like-minded individuals. Pete McCloskey, another politician (who would go on in 1973 to co-author The Endangered Species Act), entered the conversation. Together they persuaded Denis to drop out of Harvard to organize a major nationwide event to promote environmental awareness on university campuses. At that time, interest in environmental and ecological issues, though growing, was still fairly tepid on college campuses. It was Denis’ decision to rename the environmental teach-in “Earth Day” and move it mostly off college campuses and into the broader community.

On April 22, 1970, an estimated 20 million people came together in virtually every city, town, village and crossroad in the country for the world’s first Earth Day.

Earth Day was another pivotal experience for Denis. “I’m so proud of what we accomplished back then, and what we continue to accomplish. But of course, we still have a long, long way to go.” He went on to oversee the Earth Day Network, a nonprofit that promotes Earth Day and all it stands for. Now recognized in 192 countries, Earth Day is the world’s largest observed secular holiday.

When asked about the tangible impact of Earth Day, Denis points to legislation like the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act and the founding of the Environmental Protection Agency, all of which became reality in the early 1970s.

“Earth Day got people talking about the value of the environment, and the importance of its protection and survival for our own survival,” reflects Denis.

Denis reminds us that it was often pro-environment Republicans like Pete McCloskey, Chuck Percy, John Lindsay—even Richard Nixon, who worked with Democrats to make environmental legislation a reality.

“Richard Nixon was a bit tough and old-school—not unlike my dad. He might say, ‘Why whine about a little bit of grit in the air?’ but he created the EPA by presidential executive order and chose Bill Ruckelshaus to head it,” observes Denis with a chuckle. “Nixon wasn’t much of an environmentalist, but he was a very savvy politician.”

Denis Hayes was appointed head of the Solar Energy Research Institute during the Carter administration. When the Reagan administration slashed 80% of funding for solar energy, Denis went back to Stanford to complete his Juris Doctor degree.

In 1992, the children and heirs of Dorothy Bullitt, founder of KING broadcasting in Seattle, met with Denis as they were considering a more specific focus for the Bullitt Foundation. The conversation went well and Denis was hired as the foundation’s president. The Bullitt Foundation’s focus has been on “safeguard[ing] the natural environment by promoting responsible human activities and sustainable communities in the Pacific Northwest.”

With his new position, Denis was delighted to return to the region where he grew up. “We are fortunate to live in the most beautiful spot on the planet,” he says.

Part of what inspires him in his work at the Bullitt Foundation is the realization that much more can be done to promote sustainability and environmentally friendly practices in all aspects of business and industry. “The gap between what is being done today and what is necessary for a genuinely sustainable future is enormous,” he laments.

But there are bright spots. When the Bullitt Center, an office building and the foundation’s headquarters, was built, it was judged “The Greenest Commercial Building in the World” by Architect magazine. Located at 1501 East Madison Street in Seattle, the Bullitt Center was the first sixstory structure in the world so very efficient that it generates more energy from solar panels on its roof (in the cloudiest major city in the contiguous 48 states) than it uses. Everything, from its non-toxic building materials to its composting toilets, use of rain for all drinking water and “irresistible stairway,” promotes the greenest, most sustainable building practices available.

“The Bullitt Center cost about as much per square foot as other Class A office buildings in Seattle,” says Denis. “Of course, solar panels cost more than asphalt shingles. But other comparable office buildings have things like granite counter-tops, Carrera marble, Chihuly sculptures and parking garages. We spent that money instead on solar energy, rainwater purification, ultra-efficient windows and external venetian blinds. Instead of marble from Italy, we used beautiful, carbon-storing wood from local FSC forests. The Center is still a strikingly gorgeous building— we just chose to spend our money on deep green design instead of conventional fixtures.”

But in the autumn of 1969, something else began stirring. Senator Gaylord Nelson was calling for an environmental teach-in at colleges and universities. Denis sought a meeting with Senator Nelson and flew down to Washington DC; what was supposed to be a courtesy appointment turned into a lengthy, impassioned conversation between two like-minded individuals. Pete McCloskey, another politician (who would go on in 1973 to co-author The Endangered Species Act), entered the conversation. Together they persuaded Denis to drop out of Harvard to organize a major nationwide event to promote environmental awareness on university campuses. At that time, interest in environmental and ecological issues, though growing, was still fairly tepid on college campuses. It was Denis’ decision to rename the environmental teach-in “Earth Day” and move it mostly off college campuses and into the broader community.

On April 22, 1970, an estimated 20 million people came together in virtually every city, town, village and crossroad in the country for the world’s first Earth Day.

Earth Day was another pivotal experience for Denis. “I’m so proud of what we accomplished back then, and what we continue to accomplish. But of course, we still have a long, long way to go.” He went on to oversee the Earth Day Network, a nonprofit that promotes Earth Day and all it stands for. Now recognized in 192 countries, Earth Day is the world’s largest observed secular holiday.

When asked about the tangible impact of Earth Day, Denis points to legislation like the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act and the founding of the Environmental Protection Agency, all of which became reality in the early 1970s.

“Earth Day got people talking about the value of the environment, and the importance of its protection and survival for our own survival,” reflects Denis.

Denis reminds us that it was often pro-environment Republicans like Pete McCloskey, Chuck Percy, John Lindsay—even Richard Nixon, who worked with Democrats to make environmental legislation a reality.

“Richard Nixon was a bit tough and old-school—not unlike my dad. He might say, ‘Why whine about a little bit of grit in the air?’ but he created the EPA by presidential executive order and chose Bill Ruckelshaus to head it,” observes Denis with a chuckle. “Nixon wasn’t much of an environmentalist, but he was a very savvy politician.”

Denis Hayes was appointed head of the Solar Energy Research Institute during the Carter administration. When the Reagan administration slashed 80% of funding for solar energy, Denis went back to Stanford to complete his Juris Doctor degree.