The Survival Faire preceded the first Earth Day in 1970

Here I am in 1970! I worked alongside other San Jose State College (now University) students to make the weeklong "Survival Faire" happen (Feb. 16-20). That was two months before the first Earth Day. I organized and publicized the art exhibits that were part of the week's activities and recruited Philip Linhares to judge the exhibits;. He was enthusiastic about the quality of the art, which addressed environmental issues. The week's most remembered event was the sacrificial burial of a new car. It was never driven; we pushed it the full distance from the sales room. That got us attention from the New York Times.

I found the photo above through the SJSU Special Collections and Archives . Info there states: 
Two students pose for a photograph and are shown holding a large bag of rice from a truck. On the side of the truck is a sign that reads: "San Jose State Survival Rice." 
According to a press release dated 21 January 1970, Humanities 160, Contemporary Issues, organized a Survival Faire at San Jose State College, February 16-20. The purpose of the faire was to raise awareness to the college community and broader public on the problems of environmental survival. The Faire sponsored a week of activities that included events, exhibits, speakers, panels, workshops, films, exhibits, plays and a funeral procession and a nine hour wake to celebrate the burial of a 1970 car, among other events. See Civil Rights and Campus Protest Collection, Box 3. 

At right: Three students wearing face masks standing over the open hood of a car, with a sign that is propped up and reads: "Survival Faire." 

Images from San Jose State 
University Library Special 
​Collections & Archives