The Meaning of Earth Day

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The U.S.A. and the World will celebrate "Earth Day" on or around April 22nd as a reminder to recognize the global need to conserve natural precious resources and preserve the fragile eco-systems of our planet. Nationwide environmental rallies, recycling parties and litter pick-up campaigns will be held and extended throughout the year. In 1970 Americans were still slurping rich leaded gasoline through massive V8 cylinder sedans. Industry belched out smoke and sludge with little fear of legal consequences or negative press. Air pollution was commonly accepted as the scent of prosperity and Environment was a word that appeared more often in spelling bees than anywhere else.

The birth of Earth Day came about in the spring of 1970, spearheaded by Senator Gaylord Nelson who was dedicated to environmental protection and land conservation. His interest in the environment began with his reading of a book about pollution entitled "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson which discussed the dangerous effects of pesticides on the earth's eco-systems. Nelson wanted to make environmental concerns a part of public policy and in 1962 persuaded then President Kennedy to go on a national tour discussing the importance of environmental conservation. Though Kennedy had a significant impact on outlining environmental concerns to the nation it really was'nt until the founding of Earth Day in 1970 that this cause gained National and Global recognition. That day, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, stable and sustainable environment.

Denis Hayes, the national coordinator of Earth Day, along with his youthful staff organized massive coast-to-coast rallies. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values. Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, city slickers and farmers, tycoons and labor leaders.

The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. As 1990 approached, a group of environmental leaders asked Denis Hayes to organize another campaign. This time, Earth Day went global, mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries and lifting the status of environmental issues on to the world stage. Earth Day 1990 gave a huge boost to recycling efforts worldwide and helped pave the way for the "United Nations Earth Summit" held in Rio de Janeiro. Senator Nelson was awarded the "Presidential Medal of Freedom" the highest honor given to civilians in the United States for his role as founder of Earth Day which has been celebrated every year since 1970.

Honoring Earth Day

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"To honor Mother Earth, In all of her Natural and Transcendental Beauty..."

This is a Local as well as Global recognition of Honor, Respect and Celebration for our Mother Earth known as "Earth Day". Since I'm somewhat of a Nature devotee this day will hold significant meaning for me. The first Earth Day began on April 22, 1970 in the United States. I was still in high school and I vividly recall that year because of the inner conflict surrounding the Viet Nam War which brought with it the Nationwide marches, Campus riots, the Draft lottery and the Kent State shootings popularized by the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young lyrics; "Four dead in Ohio". 1970 also brought the advent of the Apollo 13 missions, the Beatles' last album, the death of Jimi Hendrix, the birth of fiber optics, Simon and Garfunkle's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and the meltdown of fuel rods at the Savannah River nuclear plant near Aiken, South Carolina. It was a year of alot of personal changes for me as well as a National and Global soul searching such as I had never seen before in my short lifetime. Out of all the turbulance came a new sense of concern for the environment and a renewed respect for honoring "Our Beautiful Blue Planet..."

I will celebrate this special day honoring the pristine beauty of Nature and looking for ways I can help take care of and show a lasting gratitude for our Mother Earth. This will involve participating in local Earth Day events as well as upgrading my own personal Recycling Program. I'll also be participating in the many International Online Forums and Community Events making this day one of empowering a Worldwide Family of people that care about the living entity know in many circles as "Gaia" but to which I will still refer to as my Mother Earth. These International communications will also include educating others as to Earth Day's origion, roots, evolvement and a few of the practical ways everyone can contribute to the care and restoration of Mother Earth and all her precious resources. I will also share a number of "Earth Day Links" posted below for anyone who wishes to participate in their own personal Earth Day offerings. Please feel free to research these excellent links and join me in the year long celebration of "Earth Day..."

Earth Day Activities & Events

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The Earth is our home and this blue and beautifully endowed planet has supported life for many thousands of years. I share the view that Nature is Maternal in that it gives and sustains life and without the proper concern and care for our Mother Earth, all life may ultimately perish. I'm already concerned about the changes in the bio-spheres weather patterns and as human population continues to propogate, the draw upon natural resources will continue to be depleted. If each of us does a little something each day, or each week to help conserve and perhaps even help grow our precious natural resources we can help to insure our blue planet does'nt turn grey. How can one person make a difference..? It's really easier than you might think.

Here are a few suggestions for some Earth Day Activities and Events you may wish to consider and participate in:

01-RECYCLE: I recycle all cans, glass, plastic, paper and cardboard. Most communities now have recycling centers and many even will pick-up recycled items right from where you live. If you happen to live in a town or city that does not have a recycling center, you can consider starting one yourself. Look in the "Earth Day Links" section for advise and direction for how this can be done along with the other "Earth Day Events" supported by both local and international groups online.

02-CONSERVE H20: I am careful not to ever leave the water running whether it be inside the house or outdoors. Especially this year when so many parts of the country are experiencing drought, fire conditions and low water tables. It's important to think of water as life itself and not let it run out in between washing your hands, dishes, car etc... I am also quick to fix leaky faucets so I conserve precious water and don't feel like a drip when I get the water bill.

03-ILIMINATE LITTER: I will spend a minimum of 2-hours on Earth Day and a pre-selected day per week (Saturday for me) picking up the litter that funkafies the neighborhood or any living area. With a 30-gallon trashbag in hand I'll be strolling my immediate neighborhood and the local beach and park picking up those scraps of paper, soda cans, beer cans and worse of all the hazardous glass bottles that litter the landscape. It's a good feeling to look back afterwards and observe a clean litter-free terrain and know that you did something to make it look more beautiful.

04-PLANT SOMETHING: I'll pick-up a baby tree from the local Nursery and put it's roots into the sweet Earth. This is my own personal modest token of my deep appreciation to our Mother Earth for another year of her sustainence of our existance. If you like to breathe you'll appreciate trees since they give off oxygen and planting a living thing into the Earth will beautify my surroundings as well as help me breathe easier. This single event accomplished each year is one of the most lasting tributes to Earth Day and Life on Earth. I've even heard of a fellow on the East Coast that plants trees every year on his birthday. This year I believe her turned 35 so he planted 35 trees around his neighborhood. Next year it'll be 36 trees. What a lifetime contribution this brother is making to our Great Mother Earth.

So come celebrate Earth Day with me in anyone of the above suggested ways or come up with your own special activity to "Honor Mother Earth". I kinda see it as a Mother Earth Birthday celebration...

Earth Day Prayer
In the Spirit of Indigenous Traditions by: Vern Barnet

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Infinite Spirit, sometimes called Grandfather, Grandmother...
Father Sky, Earth Mother, Creator...

We gather to praise your creation,
to honor the swimmers and crawlers,
the four-leggeds and the winged ones;
we give thanks for the beauty and glory of creation
and open our hearts to new ways to understand.

our place in the universe�not the center or focus,
but a humble and balanced place,
where every step we take becomes a prayer,
where every word we say
makes harmony with the vast, vibrating cosmos,
and where we know we are singing the song of life.

We pray to know more deeply that we are in the Garden
where every plant and animal and speck of dust
is a living prayer.
Without our brothers and sisters
of the plant and animal and mineral kingdoms,
the human family would end.
So we want to bless them, as they bless us.

We pray for humility...
not to humble ourselves before presidents or priests,
but before the ants and trees
for if we cannot be in true relation to the ant,
we shall be outcasts of the garden
Let us cast the pollution from our eyes
so we can see the glory and live with thanksgiving.

Great Spirit, let us remember
it is not how we talk but how we walk.
When we say we love animals, let us protect them.
When we say we that we love the plant people,
let us honor them by living lightly on the earth.
When we say we love the minerals,
let us use them only in necessity,
and remember their rightful places.
Oil belongs in the ground,
not in the air through our wasteful machines.

Wondrous trees, breathing life into the atmosphere
your gifts of fire and shelter, fruit,
and sailing are precious to us.
And in many ways you offer us leaves of knowledge.

May the vision of mutual interrelatedness,
cosmic interdependence,
the seamless process of generations,
not end in cough-filled skies blotting the Sun,
but rather may clear air, healthy forrests,
wholesome water, expansive prairie, and pungent earth
nourish paths for all creatures
through mountain and valley, and the salt sea,
and through a protective atmosphere,
as we rejoice in the inhabitants.

Hear and empower our mantra: reduce, reuse, recycle.
With thanks for the surprise and mystery of it all,
we pray in the name of the Creator,
the Processes and Presences, and all our relations.

Please consider sharing this sacred prayer with others...
Mahalo nui Aloha, Michael AngelOh

Earth Day Prose transport back to earth day history activites and events directory

"If there is light in the soul, there will be beauty in the person. If there is beauty in the person, there will be harmony in the house. If there is harmony in the house, there will be order in the nation. If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world..."
~Chinese Proverb

Earth Day Links Index transport back to earth day history activites and events directory

EARTH DAY NETWORK

EARTH DAY ENERGY FAST ORG.