Not to date myself, but I remember celebrating the first Earth Day at the University of Utah in 1970. Ed Abbey was the keynote speaker in the Union Building ballroom. It quickly became obvious his talent was in writing, not speaking.
The state population hovered around one million, and now is pushing 3.5 million. The U.S. population was 210 million. We are now pushing 340 million. Water was readily available and no one thought twice about watering lawns. Rentals were cheap enough that students could live within walking distance of the U. without needing roommates to split the rent.
National Parks weren’t crowded and no reservations were needed for camping. You could arrive after dark and find a park campsite in southern Utah, Grand Teton or Yellowstone. During the ski season, Alta and Brighton were 45 minute drives from the U. campus and parking was no problem.
Boy, oh boy, are those days long gone!
Joel Bown, Millcreek
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