So Earth Day 2015 just happened. Did you miss it? Did you celebrate it in some way? Did you ignore it completely, roll your eyes, or give it a little head nod and say, “Oh yeah… Earth Day” and then go on with your life? However you recognized the event (or not), it happened. Why should we care? Well for starters sustainability is the in-thing — and not in the same way the paleo-diet is “in” right now or how gluten-free anything graces restaurant menus and supermarket shelves everywhere. Now in American and across the globe, people, governments, and corporations have an attitude that’s either positive or negative about the notion of sustainability, carbon foot print and global warming.

This year marked the 45^th anniversary of the first Earth Day event. On that day (April 22^nd, 1970), a young man who was chosen by Senator Gaylord Nelson (D – Wisconsin), organized what has become one of the most significant American movements in our country’s history. On this day in 1970, more than 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, theaters, classrooms and demonstrated for a healthier, cleaner world. He did this before technology was able to connect globally at the click of a mouse button with good old fashioned shoe leather and a quick dialing finger. He and his staff of 85 people orchestrated this event which continues to grow. The impact of this event created a movement and the movement helped to launch the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Act and helped to establish the Environmental Protection Agency by pushing the issues into the majority of public sentiment garnering the attention of lawmakers and the President of the US.

By 1990, Earth Day went global reaching over 145 countries and 200 million people. Recycling efforts came to the forefront of the public’s consciousness and the United Nations organized out of this the first Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. By the new millennium over 5,000 environmental organizations and 184 countries were involved now using the latest in technology – the Internet – to reach out and get the message heard that environmental stewardship wasn’t a luxury, it was a necessity. Where technology hadn’t reached yet, word of mouth, shoe leather, and even drum chains (Gabon, Africa) helped to rally the cause.

On the 4^th anniversary in 2010, great challenges emerged including climate change deniers, big-oil money interests, well funded lobbyists and some complacency in the American public cause the collation to refocus their efforts and launch a climate rally and a renewed sense of commitment driving 40 million environmental service actions towards the established 2012 goal of A Billion Acts of Green and with the assistance of film director James Cameron, launched an initiative to plant over a million trees globally.

All of the significance of the last 45 years has found prominence in many avenues of our world including the green building movement and the meaningful rise of alternative fuel sources. As climate change impacts our daily life in an ever more pressing manner including record snow falls, extreme droughts, more powerful hurricanes, and other significant disasters one cannot help but to recognize the importance and significance of an event that happened 45 years ago. What I personally find most compelling is the global acknowledgement and participation in identifying and addressing environmental attitudes. To me it is one of the United States greatest exports and it cost us nothing and has gained us everything.

Where the impact is most evident lately is accessible in the rise and dominance of social media. Twitter had millions of Tweets mentioning the day and trumpeting events and engagement opportunities. On this day, corporations expelled their greenness touting their initiatives on reducing their carbon footprint. This is significant because the court of public opinion is a hyper critical and cynical population. They expect corporations who trumpet their environmental accomplishments to be truth tellers and they call them out if they try to green wash things. This puts corporations and politicians on notice that the will be truth in advertising and that there is an expectation that the environmental cause will be shouldered by everyone including companies and governments.

But let’s face it. Environmentalism has become more mainstream and ordinary and that is not a bad thing. It has created a more savvy public, brought new ideas to the table in terms of providing solutions to dwindling conventional energy sources, a raised two entire generations with the notion that this blue and green marble floating in space is the only home we have and we really do need to take care of it.

We in the ICT industry see much of these opportunities as we can be front line workers in the cause that started 45 years ago. Our data centric lifestyles and products bring the nimbleness and speed to which movements such as this can proliferate and ingrain themselves into everyday consciousness. Hopefully many in the ICT industry see the advantage and help celebrate Earth Day everyday in a meaningful way.

Raymond Kent is the Managing Principal of Sustainable Technologies Group, LLC specializing in technology systems for the performing and cultural arts, healthcare, Government, higher education, and corporate markets. He is a co-author of the STEP rating system and serves as the chair of the Technology Task Force for the STEP Foundation. Raymond received the 2012 InfoComm Sustainable Technology Award and is involved with the Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts.