The First Earth Day at FSU

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The 1970 edition of Tally Ho, the Florida State University (FSU) yearbook, features a two-page spread describing the events that took place at FSU on the first Earth Day. The images feature people in gas masks, which became a universal visual symbol for pollution in the 1970’s. The pages also describe Earth Day events that took place on campus. An image on the page portrays a population simulation in a “sardine can” to represent the birth and death rates at that time.

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The 1971 Tally Ho featured short narratives on environmental concerns including: the Cross Florida Barge Canal, pesticides, the effects of environmental concerns on scientific research, and a description of the environmental lobby “Conservation 70’s.” There are also images of the “Ecological Indian,” a visual representation that became popular in the 1970’s indicating Native Americans were naturally more sensitive to the indignities of the earth. Outrage over the use of the pesticide DDT is evident on several pages, the publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring a decade earlier raised awareness of the dangers of chemical pesticides. Coverage in this year’s yearbook expanded to four pages under the heading of “Earth Week,” which indicates the growing support for environmental causes on FSU campus.