The year was 1970 and the place, the Northern Illinois University in the USA. Hundreds of students, all concerned with the constant degradation of their environment, had gathered together to express their protest at the single one thing that they thought was the worst pollution creator in their country; the internal combustion engine. And they aired their protest in a very unique way. Armed with hammers and pipes, each and everyone of those alumni took turns in systematically bashing a brand new car. Thus marked the first Earth Day on April 22.
The car-bashing scene was reenacted throughout the US by what is believed to be a population of nearly twenty million Americans. Since then, Earth Day has spread all across the globe in an effort to halt the ever increasing pollution in the world. The day is designed to emphasize the necessity for conserving the world’s natural resources. It focuses on the planet’s environmental problems and solutions to slow or reverse the effects of human activities. From the deserts to the oceans, our lonely Earth is in danger of being killed and made unsustainable for life altogether.
Nevertheless, efforts are being made by environmental activists with the hope that one day things will change for the better. But before that day comes, a lot of work needs to be done. Pollution of air, water, and soils; destruction of habitats; decimation of hundreds of thousands of plant and animal species; and the depletion of nonrenewable resources. These are just the few core issues that are heart of the activities of Earth Day.
And one of the web sites that try and tackle these issues is the official site of the International Earth Day http://www.earthsite.org/. Here there is lot of information on the reasons why anybody should participate in the effort to save Earth’s environment. There’s also a message from John McConnell, the person who is believed to be the founder of Earth Day (though there may be those who think otherwise). And if you think there is some way that you can help, or bring to light some environmental issue, then you can also become an Earth Trustee. Just read McConnell’s Earth Magna Charta, in which he seeks to incorporate the goals and policies needed for “peace, justice and the care of Earth.” Or the 77 Theses, the principles and policies that will foster the peaceful nurture and care of Planet Earth.
The whole point of celebrating Earth Day is an emphasis on solutions that will slow and possibly reverse the negative effects of human activities. Such solutions include recycling of manufactured materials, fuel and energy conservation, banning the use of harmful chemicals, halting the destruction of major habitats such as rain forests, and protecting endangered species. And one site that really helps in at least trying to deal with these issues is Yahoo! Earth Day http://promotions.yahoo.com/earthday04/. Learn of the ten little things that you can do to make a big difference, like the use of reusable mugs and not those made from Styrofoam. Or be inspired by Leonardo DiCaprio and read how he is trying to be the King of the World and save the world. Also, there are tips on the various things that you can do to make this a less cluttered society by using less and less of paper.
There’s a page for activities, e-cards (hey, more, paperless) and more. An important component of our efforts for a less polluting Earth is kids. Children are always the future and therefore it is important that they understand the issues related to pollution and conservation. Kids Domain Earth Day http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/earthday/ tries to do just that. It celebrates Earth Day with graphics, cards, songs, activities, and history, and puts it quite right when it says, ‘this is obviously a topic for any time’. Links here include History, Learn About Our World. There are also activities like Online Games, Clip Art, Send an Earth Day Card, Earth Songs, Coloring Pages, Word Searches and ‘Adopt’ a Rainforest Animal.
One organization that has been at the forefront of all activities that endeavour to help our planet sustain life, is the World Wildlife Organization. And therefore, it comes as no surprise that they too are getting into the groove and spreading awareness about Earth Day. At http://www.worldwildlife.org/earthday/ the WWF reminds us that the environment is under siege and ‘it’s more important than ever for conservationists to be vigilant and active in their efforts. There are the Green Tips, advice of what you can do to save the Earth. There is also a call for activists to help the WWF in persuading the Russians to stop commercial hunting of beluga whales; pass legislation to protect the Galapagos Islands; secure adequate funding for large-scale restoration of the Florida Everglades and enact the Rhino and Tiger Labeling bill, which has strengthened protection of endangered tigers and rhinos
We have only one planet. This is a slogan that most of us hear throughout the year. However, the sooner we realize the gravity of these words, the better it is for our as well as the survival of all mankind. So stop talking and start acting.
The year was 1970 and the place, the Northern Illinois University in the USA. Hundreds of students, all concerned with the constant degradation of their environment, had gathered together to express their protest at the single one thing that they thought was the worst pollution creator in their country; the internal combustion engine. And they aired their protest in a very unique way. Armed with hammers and pipes, each and everyone of those alumni took turns in systematically bashing a brand new car. Thus marked the first Earth Day on April 22.
