1969, the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland caught fire. Although it wasn’t the first time the river burned, it became the symbol of the desperate condition of American waterways choked by pollution and spurred the passage of the Clean Water Act. A year later, 20 million Americans rallied on April 22 – the first Earth Day and the birth of the present day environmental movement. 42 years later, the environmental challenges are great, but we have many opportunities to take action. Here is the statement from the Earth Day website
For Earth Day 2012 we are mobilizing the planet simply to say one thing: the Earth won’t wait. It seems that environmental issues have been put on the back burner as we are in the midst of a global recession. It is time for us to Mobilize the Earth™ and speak with one voice, one message.
Check out the Earth Day website. You can search for activities in your local community and create your own Earth Day pledge. I pledged to start a second beehive in our garden and to eat more local foods and to reduce my use of plastic and to dye with less water and energy.
What are you planning for Earth Day?