The Dark History Behind Earth Day’s Murderous, Girlfriend-Composting Co-Founder

[unrepentant progress]

As you step outside today to breathe in the fresh air and note our planet's lush, life-giving fauna, take a minute to appreciate the fact that this whole day exists thanks to the hard efforts of Earth Day's environmentally conscious, murderous conspirators.

Because even though this day is founded on the vision of an Earth worth saving, it's also founded by (or at least partially by) a man who whose conservation efforts didn't quite extend to human life. On September 9, 1977, Ira Einhorn, one of Earth Day's co-founders, lured his ex (the 'ex' portion occurring pre-brutal murder) girlfriend, Holly Maddux, to his apartment and killed her in a heartbroken rage. Though, he did choose to dispose of the body by creating a compost pile. So at least he's consistent.

http://gizmodo.com/5995197/the-dark-history-behind-earth-days-murderous-girlfriend+composting-co+founder

[whathehell]

1. Yep. I'm from Philly and remember the whole incident. n/t

He was quite the local celebrity.

[Lindsay]

4. I remember some friends

in Cleveland who were quite excited that he was supposed to be visiting.

Also had a net friend in Philly who claimed to have been friends with him, and to have turned down a request to store a trunk. But that may have been a bit of story-telling.

[cali]

2. lying right wing crap

take it elsewhere, hon.

In 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco, the date proposed was March 21, 1970, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. This day of nature's equipoise was later sanctioned in a Proclamation signed by Secretary General U Thant at the United Nations. A month later a separate Earth Day was founded by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in first held on April 22, 1970. While this April 23 Earth Day was focused on the United States, an organization launched by Denis Hayes, who was the original national coordinator in 1970, took it international in 1990 and organized events in 141 nations.[3][4] Numerous communities celebrate Earth Week, an entire week of activities focused on environmental issues.

[unrepentant progress]

3. I don't know where the author is getting their information

Einhorn's girlfriend's body was found in a trunk in his apartment after a year. Also, he claims to have been the MC at the first Earth Day. That's contested, but he was most certainly NOT a co-founder.

Bonus factoid: Arlen Specter was Einhorn's attorney. Yes, *that* Arlen Specter, the late great Senator from Pennsylvania.

[Cooley Hurd]

5. Here's a link:

http://www.amgot.org/einhorn/eday.htm

[Freddie]

6. Also from Philly and followed the case closely

Think of him every Earth Day, unfortunately. May he rot in Graterford or wherever he is.

[Javaman]

7. Trying to attempt to correct the grossly wrong information in this stinking pile of an article...

only gets kicked as a failed post.

It seems as if someone shut down comments but didnt' bother to fix the article.

gizmodo is usually a little bit better than that...a little bit better.

[unrepentant progress]

8. I already posted in the comments there

One comment made it through, the other has yet to be approved. Gawker's commenting system is crap (Gizmodo is one of many blogs owned by Gawker).

[Javaman]

10. Ahh okay. I'm glad you got through...

Hopefully to correct, whatever that was, because it certainly wasn't an article.

[Marrah_G]

9. Are you sure you are on the right message board?

[Marrah_G]

16. I certainly try not to be.

[Posteritatis]

13. Wow, I didn't think that much poison could fit in a well. (nt)

[LiberalAndProud]

14. Einhorn was good at making himself look good.

He grabbed the limelight where he could and took credit for whatever he could make up. He was a masterful manipulator.

To whom it may concern:

We are former members of the original 1970 Earth Week Committee of Philadelphia. Our group, which was made up of 33 members and 92 sponsors, organized the first Earth Day and Earth Week in Philadelphia. We were inspired to undertake this activity because of a speech that was given in 1969 by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, the founder of Earth Day. His idea was implemented not only in Philadelphia, but also in thousands of communities across America in 1970. This was an event designed to publicize the environmental problems that our society was facing as well as the means to address those problems. Philadelphia’s Earth Week in 1970 is widely viewed as having been the most successful such event in the country, having involved world famous scientists, educators, business people, political leaders, and most importantly, thousands and thousands of ordinary people. We are proud to say that Earth Day in Philadelphia effectively focused attention on environmental problems in a very positive way and contributed to the groundswell of public concern that led to the passage of the landmark environmental legislation of the 1970’s.

Much to our dismay, we now find that the self-styled hippie guru and alleged murderer of Holly Maddux, Ira Einhorn, has been taking credit for initiating and/or organizing Earth Day. He is not telling the truth. A group of very dedicated young people worked very hard to organize Earth Day, but Einhorn was not one of them. In fact, Einhorn was asked to leave several meetings of the organizing committee which he attempted to disrupt. He was not welcome there, nor did he contribute in any material way to the committee’s activities. Einhorn, given a small role on the stage at Earth Day, grabbed the microphone and refused to give up the podium for thirty minutes, thinking he would get some free television publicity. We just waited until he had completed his "act" and then got on to the serious business at hand, the keynote speech of U.S. Senator Edmund Muskie, author of the landmark U.S. Clean Air Act of 1970.

Again, Ira Einhorn’s claims that he was a founder or organizer of Earth Day are false. He is a fraud. His lies do a real disservice to those of us who were and are deeply concerned about our planet’s environmental problems and who have worked hard to solve them.

Yours truly,
(signatures at link)
http://www.amgot.org/einhorn/eday.htm

[unrepentant progress]

15. Ah, thanks!

That clears up Einhorn's claim he was the MC at the first Earth Day celebration.