Earth Day

Call me a tree hugger, but yesterday was one of my favorite holidays, Earth Day! Earth Day is also coincidentally my father's birthday. Here are some facts that you probably did not know about Earth Day.

Earth Day From Above

To celebrate Earth Day, National Geographic photo editors selected 20 of the most stunning pictures of Earth, as seen from space, including this jewel-toned shot of the island country off the African coast.

Here is my favorite:Captured in 2000 by a NASA satellite, the scene shows where the salty waters of the Mozambique Channel mingle with freshwater outflow from the island's Betsiboka River. Bombetoka Bay is home to some of Madagascar's largest mangrove forests, which provide shelter for diverse mollusks and crustaceans as well as habitat for sea turtles, water birds, and dugongs.

Sapphire waters tinged with pink sediment seem to get tangled amid emerald vegetation in a satellite picture of Bombetoka Bay, on the northwestern coast of Madagascar.

What is Earth Day exactly?
Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment.

How did Earth Day Begin?
From carycitizen.com

In November 1962, Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin wanted to bring environmental issues into the political agenda. The first task was to persuade President John Kennedy to give visibility to this issue by going on a national conservation tour. President Kennedy liked the idea and began a five-day, eleven-state conservation tour in September 1963.  This was the seed that ultimately flowered into Earth Day.

At that time in our history, environmental degradation was appearing everywhere.  Air pollution was thick, our parks and roadways where covered with litter and a little thing called “the greenhouse effect” was being discussed by scientists.

“Everyone noticed except the political establishment. The environmental issue simply was not to be found on the nation’s political agenda. The people were concerned, but the politicians were not,” recalled Senator Nelson in a 1993 article.

The idea occurred to the Senator – why not organize a huge grassroots protest over what was happening to the environment?  Nelson announced that in the spring of 1970 there would be a nationwide grassroots demonstration on behalf of the environment and invited everyone in the country to participate. The news of the demonstration spread rapidly across the nation.

“The response was electric. The American people finally had a forum to express its concern about what was happening to the land, rivers, lakes, and air – and they did so with spectacular exuberance,” recalled Senator Gaylord Nelson.

Why April 22?
Senator Nelson chose the date in order to maximize participation on college campuses for what he conceived as an "environmental teach-in". He determined the week of April 19–25 was the best bet as it did not fall during exams or spring breaks. Moreover, it did not conflict with religious holidays such as Easter or Passover, and was late enough in spring to have decent weather. More students were likely to be in class, and there would be less competition with other mid-week events—so he chose Wednesday, April 22.

International Mother Earth Day
International Mother Earth Day was established in 2009 by the General Assembly under Resolution A/RES/63/278. The Resolution was introduced by The Plurinational State of Bolivia and endorsed by over 50 member states. It recognizes that "the Earth and its ecosystems are our home" and that "it is necessary to promote harmony with nature and the Earth." The term Mother Earth is used because it "reflects the interdependence that exists among human beings, other living species and the planet we all inhabit."

Earth Day Ecology Flag

Created by Ron Cobb, the Ecology Flag was a cultural symbol used in the 1970s by American environmentalists.  The symbol was formed by taking the letters "e" and "o", taken from the words "environment" and "organism", and putting them in superposition, thereby forming a shape reminiscent of the Greek letter Θ (Theta).

Earth Day Anthem (sung to Beethoven's "Ode to Joy"

Joyful joyful we adore our Earth in all its wonderment

Simple gifts of nature that all join into a paradise

Now we must resolve to protect her

Show her our love through out all time

With our gentle hand and touch

We make our home a newborn world

Now we must resolve to protect her

Show her our love through out all time

With our gentle hand and touch

We make our home a newborn world