Interview Transcript:
Neha: What was the experience like at the first Earth Day?
Howe: Okay, I actually was not at the first Earth Day, because that was 1970. We had Earth Day celebrations, of the one I was involved in my high school, at Park Senior High in Cottage Grove. And that was, I can't even remember exactly, it was either 1972 or 1973. So it was not the first one.
Neha: Like, did you remember hearing about the first one though?
Howe: I did, I did, and actually it was on TV, and what I though that I remembered was it really did not involve elementary school kids, or middle school kids, or high school kids, it was on college campus, um, awareness about the environmental problems that we had during the late 60's, and that is why the environmental movement started, was because of, and Earth Day, because of Environmental problems we had back then. And that is what got me interested in environmental science.
Neha: I'll ask you some questions of how it felt to grow up in an environment where no one really environmentally
conscious.
Howe: Okay.
Neha: So like how was it like, compared to right now when we have such a beautiful environment and like it's not perfect but we don't have it as bad as it used to be.
Howe: Exactly.
Neha; So how did it seem when you were a kid.
Howe: When I was a kid I wasn't really aware of that. To me things seemed like they were clean. I was out in nature quite a bit, but I also lived out more in the country.Back a long time ago, Cottage Grove was almost rural. There were farms, there weren't many houses there. I would ride my bike out into the country. So it seemed all very clean to me. It wasn't really until I was in middle school, learning in science how polluted our air was, how polluted our water was, and so that's when I first started becoming aware of that.
Neha: I interviewed one of my other teachers and she said that when she heard how it was in other places and how it was here, she was like Woh really!
Howe: Oh. Not really, no, I did not, I did not really have a jolt because I think my science class did a good job of making me aware, and so I wasn't really, it wasn't really a jolt as much as; oh! things are happening in other places, I wasn't; didn't know that.
Neha: That's nice.
Howe: Yeah
Neha: So did you think that after Earth Day, like after you became conscious, in the 1970's, do you think that that effected your decision to become an Earth Science teacher?
Howe: You know actually not back then, it did not influence my decision to become an Earth Science teacher, but it did influence my desire to make sure the environment, people knew about the environment and how we needed to take care of it. And so from then on high school and collage I was very environmentally aware, recycling, picking up litter, that was a big thing, picking up garbage, um, so that did influence being a teacher and making students aware and in fact were you in my environmental science class?
Neha: No I wanted to, but I couldn't.
Howe: OK. So its those kind of things. If I could. I love Earth Science. But if I could I would also teach Environmental Science, quiet a bit of that because of the environmental awareness we were able to work with people.
Neha: That's cool.
Howe: Yeah
Neha: So do you think the environmental awareness from the 70's has decreased or increased to the 2000's.
Howe: That is a good question, so I think that it increased for a while, I feel we are kind of going back wards a little bit. There used to be something called energy conservation, one thing where you tried to conserve energy so you didn't wast energy. I don't think people do that so much any more, um, I also feel recycling has had gone up, and now I think less people recycle, in a way I know around me. Which is surprising, that is your generation that is going to have to become more aware of that.
Neha: Yeah. So when you did participate in High School, what did you do there?
Howe: So I didn't do much, and that was what I was wanted to tell you. It was basically, what I vaguely remember, was that there were some senior high kids, who must have had a club that I did not know about, and they came around and they talked about how Earth Day had started. And actually, I'm sure you know it was the governor right next door to Minnesota, the Wisconsin governor.
Neha: Yeah, um, Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin.
Howe: Exactly, or yeah, and so he started that. And, so they were making us aware about Earth Day and the things you could do, and I don't even remember vaguely what it was, but I do remember, I am showing you this. This is the Earth Day flag, and we all got a little decal of the Earth Day flag.
Neha: Oh.
Howe: So that was just kind of just to let us know, um, about this, so, I don't know if there is any thing about that but I know I stuck it away, and I am wondering if it is some place in my box of stuff some place, and I'd love to find it, but that is all I remember , was they gave me this visual, that I thought was really cool.
Neha: And, then. Can you tell us more about how it impacted you for the rest of your, like it has clearly impacted you, like you are a very nice environmentally conscious person, so could you tell us some more about that.
Howe: Umm, So let's see. I guess that was the seed that started it all. And I have since forgotten about that. I try to do Earth Day things every year with my science classes because I think it is very important for us to remember that as a day. Of course we should be environmentally aware every day. I do try to carry that with me every day. Try to raise my children to be environmentally conscious, try to always bring it up in Earth Science class. Or talk to the people I work with. That kind of thing.
Neha: On a scale from 1-10 would you rate Earth Day as extremely beneficial or not too much. Even if it didn't happen, something else could have happened to open our eyes.
Howe: So on a scale from 1-10, today, I think it seems that there are many celebrations that go on that day. But in what I see I would say that there seems to be a less impact because back in the day, it was like eye opening to people, like you said, the person said wow they made me think about that. So back then many people's eyes were opened. Now our eyes are opened but some people just don't want to accept that, right! So I don't feel that it's as pressing. Okay Earth Day is great. I love it. But is it really helping the people. Is it really getting the awareness of the people who aren't environmentally conscious. That I am not sure.
Neha: Thanks.
Howe: You are welcome. Good luck. Hope that works out well.
Neha: What was the experience like at the first Earth Day?
Howe: Okay, I actually was not at the first Earth Day, because that was 1970. We had Earth Day celebrations, of the one I was involved in my high school, at Park Senior High in Cottage Grove. And that was, I can't even remember exactly, it was either 1972 or 1973. So it was not the first one.
Neha: Like, did you remember hearing about the first one though?
Howe: I did, I did, and actually it was on TV, and what I though that I remembered was it really did not involve elementary school kids, or middle school kids, or high school kids, it was on college campus, um, awareness about the environmental problems that we had during the late 60's, and that is why the environmental movement started, was because of, and Earth Day, because of Environmental problems we had back then. And that is what got me interested in environmental science.
Neha: I'll ask you some questions of how it felt to grow up in an environment where no one really environmentally
conscious.
Howe: Okay.
Neha: So like how was it like, compared to right now when we have such a beautiful environment and like it's not perfect but we don't have it as bad as it used to be.
Howe: Exactly.
Neha; So how did it seem when you were a kid.
Howe: When I was a kid I wasn't really aware of that. To me things seemed like they were clean. I was out in nature quite a bit, but I also lived out more in the country.Back a long time ago, Cottage Grove was almost rural. There were farms, there weren't many houses there. I would ride my bike out into the country. So it seemed all very clean to me. It wasn't really until I was in middle school, learning in science how polluted our air was, how polluted our water was, and so that's when I first started becoming aware of that.
Neha: I interviewed one of my other teachers and she said that when she heard how it was in other places and how it was here, she was like Woh really!
Howe: Oh. Not really, no, I did not, I did not really have a jolt because I think my science class did a good job of making me aware, and so I wasn't really, it wasn't really a jolt as much as; oh! things are happening in other places, I wasn't; didn't know that.
Neha: That's nice.
Howe: Yeah
Neha: So did you think that after Earth Day, like after you became conscious, in the 1970's, do you think that that effected your decision to become an Earth Science teacher?
Howe: You know actually not back then, it did not influence my decision to become an Earth Science teacher, but it did influence my desire to make sure the environment, people knew about the environment and how we needed to take care of it. And so from then on high school and collage I was very environmentally aware, recycling, picking up litter, that was a big thing, picking up garbage, um, so that did influence being a teacher and making students aware and in fact were you in my environmental science class?
Neha: No I wanted to, but I couldn't.
Howe: OK. So its those kind of things. If I could. I love Earth Science. But if I could I would also teach Environmental Science, quiet a bit of that because of the environmental awareness we were able to work with people.
Neha: That's cool.
Howe: Yeah
Neha: So do you think the environmental awareness from the 70's has decreased or increased to the 2000's.
Howe: That is a good question, so I think that it increased for a while, I feel we are kind of going back wards a little bit. There used to be something called energy conservation, one thing where you tried to conserve energy so you didn't wast energy. I don't think people do that so much any more, um, I also feel recycling has had gone up, and now I think less people recycle, in a way I know around me. Which is surprising, that is your generation that is going to have to become more aware of that.
Neha: Yeah. So when you did participate in High School, what did you do there?
Howe: So I didn't do much, and that was what I was wanted to tell you. It was basically, what I vaguely remember, was that there were some senior high kids, who must have had a club that I did not know about, and they came around and they talked about how Earth Day had started. And actually, I'm sure you know it was the governor right next door to Minnesota, the Wisconsin governor.
Neha: Yeah, um, Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin.
Howe: Exactly, or yeah, and so he started that. And, so they were making us aware about Earth Day and the things you could do, and I don't even remember vaguely what it was, but I do remember, I am showing you this. This is the Earth Day flag, and we all got a little decal of the Earth Day flag.
Neha: Oh.
Howe: So that was just kind of just to let us know, um, about this, so, I don't know if there is any thing about that but I know I stuck it away, and I am wondering if it is some place in my box of stuff some place, and I'd love to find it, but that is all I remember , was they gave me this visual, that I thought was really cool.
Neha: And, then. Can you tell us more about how it impacted you for the rest of your, like it has clearly impacted you, like you are a very nice environmentally conscious person, so could you tell us some more about that.
Howe: Umm, So let's see. I guess that was the seed that started it all. And I have since forgotten about that. I try to do Earth Day things every year with my science classes because I think it is very important for us to remember that as a day. Of course we should be environmentally aware every day. I do try to carry that with me every day. Try to raise my children to be environmentally conscious, try to always bring it up in Earth Science class. Or talk to the people I work with. That kind of thing.
Neha: On a scale from 1-10 would you rate Earth Day as extremely beneficial or not too much. Even if it didn't happen, something else could have happened to open our eyes.
Howe: So on a scale from 1-10, today, I think it seems that there are many celebrations that go on that day. But in what I see I would say that there seems to be a less impact because back in the day, it was like eye opening to people, like you said, the person said wow they made me think about that. So back then many people's eyes were opened. Now our eyes are opened but some people just don't want to accept that, right! So I don't feel that it's as pressing. Okay Earth Day is great. I love it. But is it really helping the people. Is it really getting the awareness of the people who aren't environmentally conscious. That I am not sure.
Neha: Thanks.
Howe: You are welcome. Good luck. Hope that works out well.