Mr. Hayes speaks with a down to earth and easy-going manner characteristic of what one would expect from a man so genuinely concerned about our Mother Earth's future. Hayes was national coordinator of the first Earth Day in 1970, and currently serves as chair of chief executive officer of the international Earth Day Network. As director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory under President Carter, he built that institution into the foremost solar research center in the world.

I first asked Denis how he began his affiliation with Earth Day. Hayes explained that in 1970, Senator Gaylord Nelson and he had a phone conversation from which the young Hayes' involvement blossomed. Prior to that call, Hayes was flying into Seattle and upon seeing the large amounts of smog over California as well as an oil spill, he decided that the environmental movement was a key one needing to be organized. He'd grown up in the Pacific NW and worked for the cause somewhat at Stanford where he graduated from Law School and served as a professor of engineering.

I asked Hayes whether he's been pleased with the progress that's come since the first Earth Day, and he seemed positive about the initial focus having gotten better in some microcosmic ways. For instance, air quality is improving, rivers are cleaner, and several endangered species have been brought back. Yet, he stresses the dire need for more improvements on global issues such as global warming and the ozone. What can help on the macrocosmic level is how much the population sees the government cares, Hayes stresses, so when we elect officials that are environmentally proactive, we tend to be more environmentally conscious ourselves.

The coming 2000 elections will be key towards getting more environmentally proactive politicians in office, and this was a key concern echoed in the Earth Day rally this year on the National Mall. Al Gore delivered a speech focusing on ways to develop clean energy alternatives to carbon rich fuels to curtail global warming, which is one of the world's greatest problems. I questioned Hayes as to how quickly he feels changes in energy use could reverse this. His quick answer was "as fast as we want it to." He elaborated to say that the world tends to watch Americans' actions carefully and our environmental choices tend to influence those of other nations. However, the cues of other European nations can teach Americans as well. He mentioned countries where tax incentives encourage public transportation use, meaning less reliance on oil, thus, public policy that aligns with the environment and economics is important.

Hayes mentioned several Fortune 500 Companies who are going "Green" by reducing greenhouse gas emissions; these include IBM and Johnson & Johnson. Since businesses need a political and legal system that's environmentally friendly, we must look towards Election 2000 with the slogan "from Earth Day to Election Day" when Americans will choose a president and administration who will appoint at least 5 Supreme Court Justices who will precide over environmentally impacting legal decisions. Hayes also endorses candidates who will help ratify the Kyoto Accord, which requires countries to reduce emissions of globally warming gases. Thus far, 84 countries have signed onto the Kyoto Protocol, but only 14 legislatures have voted to ratify it, and there needs to be 55 ratifications for it to become legally binding.

In the mean time, Hayes stressed we can all still follow the tenants of Kyoto. One important avenue is to endorse politically active candidates who support the environment. There are many other suggestions in Hayes book, "The Official Earth Day Guide to Planet Repair," for how individuals can work towards changes on their own. These ideas are best described by the "3 Green R's", or "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle." Individuals can use Hayes book to get ideas for cleaner ways to use cars, household appliances and other environmentally savvy means. His book is computer friendly too by offering a listing of Web sites for more help and details on environmentally friendly groups, actions and tips.

Here is one final quote from Hayes' book that reminds us all of our integral ties to our planet home: "Once we no longer live beneath our mother's heart, it is the earth with which we form the same dependent relationship, relying…on its cycles and elements, helpless without its protective embrace." - Louise Erdrich, Native American writer and novelist