Earth Day 2008
On April 22, 1970, 20 million people across America celebrated the first Earth Day. It was a time when cities were buried under their own smog and polluted rivers caught fire. Now Earth Day is celebrated annually around the globe. Through the combined efforts of the U.S. government, grassroots organizations, and citizens, what started as a day of national environmental recognition has evolved into a world-wide campaign to protect our global environment.
The 39th Earth Day will be celebrated on April 22, 2008.
The theme of Earth Day 2008 is A Call to Climate, and events are being held from from Tokyo to Togo, with flagship events being held on the National Mall in Washington, DC and 7 other U.S. cities. The idea is to galvanize millions of people around the world behind a Call for Climate, the global warming action theme. Hundreds of events are popping up all over the globe. Earth Day organizers will be asking people to call their government and urge significant and equitable action on climate change.
U.S. events, produced by Green Apple Festival, will include A-list musicians and actors, environmental and community leaders, and dozens of exhibits. These special events are the place to be on April 20, right before Earth Day. The Call for Climate will go out to the U.S. Congress on Earth Day, April 22 and organizers hope to generate 1 million phone calls to lawmakers.
All the activities are being coordinated by Earth Day Network, the nonprofit organization that mobilizes 17,000 organizations worldwide and 5,000 organizations in the U.S. Earth Day Network was founded by the organizers of the original Earth Day in 1970.
“This Earth Day, its time to change the forecast for global warming,” said Kathleen Rogers, President of Earth Day Network. “Climate change must rise to the top of the national agenda this election year. On April 20th, Americans will be hearing our global warming message and we will be mobilizing support for solutions.”
The 2008 Earth Day events will include a voter registration component, especially in low-income communities. Studies have shown that minority and low-income populations are the most impacted by global warming. The solution is a new energy future based on renewable sources that will mean less greenhouse gasses, spur jobs and stimulate the economy.
In addition to the free events on the Mall and seven cities, April 21st there will be a day of action. For the second year in a row, Earth Day Network is sponsoring Earth Day on the Hill, which will bring community leaders from all over the U.S. to lobby Congress on the issues of global warming and environmental justice and equity.
“We will be creating surround-sound on the issue of global warming,” said Rogers. “Our leaders will hear from us on the National Mall, in the halls of Congress and in the news media. We will be making a lot of noise this Earth Day.”
The nearest Green Apple Festival to our Island will be held in Miami’s bicentennial park on Sunday, April 20th, beginning at noon. Closer to home, Earth Day will be celebrated by the Earth Day Trash Bash on Saturday, April 19th at Beach Elementary School from 9am to noon and at “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island, also on Saturday, from 10am to 3pm.
More than 1 billion people participate in Earth Day activities, making it the largest secular civic event in the world.
Keri Hendry - published in the Island Sand Paper April 18, 2008
