Ecology

White ecology symbol on a black background

Designed by political cartoonist Rob Cobb, the symbol for "Ecology" began to appear during the late 1960s. First published in the counterculture Los Angeles Free Press, it was then displayed on the first Earth Day in 1969. In the spring of 1970, it appeared on the cover of Look magazine's "Earth Day" issue. The symbology of the image combines the letters "E" to represent "environment" and "O" for "organism." The design comprises many shapes that belong to ecological philosophical concepts; it can be decoded with Cobb's accompanying poster. The image is copyright-free and has since become synonymous with Earth Day and the Green Movement.