Earth Day is this week. What contribution are you planning to make to this big ball we are riding on? Maybe you are planning on conquering that composting idea, or deciding to buy a hybrid car. Maybe your contribution will be as simple as picking up after yourself from-now-on and putting the trash in the right can. Either way, Earth Day should bring to mind that we should accept some more responsibility for the planet.

Once upon a time, companies could pump excess waste into the atmosphere with impunity and people thought little of the chemicals dumped into our landscapes and waterways. In 1969, Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin visited the site of a bad oil spill in Santa Barbara. This fueled the fire for Earth day, which was established in large part due to Senator Nelson’s efforts. The first Earth day was observed by millions of people on April 22, 1970. Really however, Sen. Nelson had the ear of JFK and Robert Kennedy on issues of the environment even before then.

An odd tidbit of info some detractors pointed out was that April 22 is the anniversary of Lenin’s birthday. However, Nelson responded by pointing out that this day is also shared by the birthday of Saint Francis of Assisi whom many consider to be one of the earliest environmentalists. Oh yeh.. He also pointed out the math that there are 365 days in a year and millions of people who have been born on the planet. Some of the birthdays overlap. The obervance of Earth Day was timed to coincide with the Spring Equinox and is celebrated in our fall in the southern hemisphere.

You know what I’m going to say… Plant a tree! Plant a garden! Try an organic fertilizer! Or maybe just pick up your trash and don‘t litter. Don’t bother hugging the trees. I don’t think they much care one way or the other.

If you run out of ideas, here are some more. http://www.epa.gov/earthday/podcasts/index.html

Respect the Ball!

Annie