Press Release: AUTHOR TO SPEAK ABOUT EARTH DAY

April 22 will mark the 35th anniversary of Earth Day, founded by Wisconsin's Gaylord Nelson.

What began as a means to an end - a way to put the environment onto the nation's political agenda -- has grown to an international institution. In the year 2000, some 500 million people participated in Earth Day activities in 167 countries.

The story behind the first Earth Day is told in a political biography of Gaylord Nelson, published by the University of Wisconsin Press. It is titled, The Man From Clear Lake: Earth Day Founder Gaylord Nelson. The author, Bill Christofferson, is a former journalist who is now a Milwaukee-based political consultant.

Gaylord Nelson, now 88, is not able to do interviews himself because of health problems which have weakened his voice. Interviews with the author, Bill Christofferson, can be arranged by contacting Benson Gardner, UW Press Publicity Manager, at 608-263-0734 or publicity@uwpress.wisc.edu

In addition to private interviews, Christofferson also has talks scheduled during Earth Week in Milwauukee, Madison, Green Bay, and Stevens Point. His topic is, "Earth Day, the Environmental Ethic and the Legacy of Gaylord Nelson."

His schedule:

April 18: 7pm at the Brown County Library in Green Bay. Contact Sue Lagerman at lagerman_sm@co.brown.wi.us for more information.

April 19: 7pm at UW-Stevens Point in the Alumni Room of the University Center. For more information please contact Tessa Jilot at Tessa.D.Jilot@uwsp.edu

April 21: 7pm at the Urban Ecology Center, 1500 E. Park Place, Milwaukee. Call 414-965-8505 or email uec@urbanecologycenter.org for more information.

April 22: 7pm Barnes and Noble West, 7433 Mineral Point Road, Madison, WI 53717. Contact Sherry Klinkner at crm2720@bn.com or 608-827-0472. This event is a fundraiser for the UW Press's Gaylord Nelson Fund for Environmental Books.

All of the events are free and open to the public.

For more information about the book:
http://www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress/books/2105.htm