1984 -- the year of President Ronald Reagan's reelection campaign -- the Los Angeles Olympics and the test of Orwell's vision was also the year that Earth Alert! was granted tax-exempt status by the IRS.
The U.S. has long-since shouted "checkmate" in the international game that threatened nuclear war. Reagan's landslide re-election victory and the end of the Cold War have been consigned to history, though effects of the era continue. We watch the continuing flow of desperate humanity from Central America and Mexico into the U.S. and see that individuals involved in the Iran-Contra Scandal, such as Poindexter, Negroponte, and North, continue to pop up. We hold our breath wondering if anyone is effectively guarding the USSR's stash of nuclear weapons.
In honor of Earth Alert's 20th anniversary, and among trips from Albuquerque to Los Angeles, founder Janet Bridgers squeezed in a celebration with several rounds of margaritas among long-time friends and activists. The year continued as Ronald Reagan died and was buried, George W. Bush narrowly defeated John Kerry to assume a second term as U.S. President, and Republicans gained additional seats in both the Senate and U.S. Congress.
With the Endangered Species Act threatened, wilderness and forest conservation efforts on the ropes against the timber and oil and gas industries, and the severe weather effects attributed to global warming becoming painfully obvious, Earth Alert! begins its 21st year. It proceeds with the promise to continue to educate the public toward a sustainable future, despite the challenges of population growth, dwindling natural resources and short-sighted political and economic interests. We continue our work with the sincere hope that the next 20 years will bring unexpected solutions to help all God's creatures live together harmoniously and prosperously on this lovely little planet we call Earth.
