Sparked by events like the Santa Barbara oil spill, the Cuyahoga River repeatedly catching fire, and quintessential wisdom of Rachel Carson in her book Silent Spring(1962), on April 22, 1970, 20 million people across the United States rallied to raise environmental awareness on the first Earth Day. Primarily a response to the impact of industrial pollution, Earth Day was, and is, about raising consciousness of environmental issues and fostering appreciation for nature. Whether you pick up trash, make an effort to reduce energy consumption, plant a tree, talk with your children about climate change, or just step outside and enjoy a few minutes of nature, let today inspire global awareness all year long. (For those who can’t step outside today, don’t forget to look in the skies tonight for remnants of the Lyrid meteor shower, visible just before the moon rises or in pre-dawn hours.)
Check out Earth Day activities at http://www.epa.gov/earthday/, http://www.earthday.org, or http://earthday.net.
HAPPY EARTH DAY!