Earth Day Celebrations

Earth Day is here. It is celebrated in the U.S. on April 22nd, and was created to make people more aware of the dangers to our fragile planet. But how did it all begin?

Earth Day was founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson in 1970. He spoke often for environmental causes, and came up with the idea of created a nationwide day of "protest" against the hazards to our environment. At the time, lead levels were at an all-time high, dead fish were washing up everywhere, and the bald eagle was rendered nearly extinct by DDT. After the famous New York Times ad appeared in February 1970, millions of Americans mobilized to halt the devastation wrought by environmental factors. Today, millions all over the globe celebrate Earth Day.

For a calendar of Earth Day events throughout the U.S., visit the Organic Trade Association website's Earth Day calendar. In addition to this, grocery stores throughout the country are participating in "going organic" activities for the third annual Organic Earth Day celebrations. Take the "organic smarts" quiz, apply to win a trip to the Crossings wellness spa in Texas, obtain coupons, etc. Click here to visit the OrganicEarthDay.org website.

Visit the International Earth Day Network website here.

Learn about your "Ecological Footprint" -- what it is, and how you can reduce your ecological footprint by clicking here.

Arbor Day has an even longer history. Founded in 1872 by J. Sterling Morton, and politician in Nebraska, it encouraged tree plantings. At the time, Nebraska had very few trees. On the first Arbor Day, more than 1 million trees were planted. In 1970, President Nixon declared that Arbor Day should be a national holiday, celebrated on the last Friday in April. This year, it falls on April 28th.

For more information and ideas, visit the National Arbor Day Foundation website.

Would you like to know what else you can do to help your planet? Why not visit our Organic living webpage, where we will continue to add ideas regularly. Or visit our Take action webpage for a listing of other eco-minded organizations.

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