HAPPY EARTH DAY, 2010!

Earth Day, Celebrated around the world today! 

April 22, 1970 marked the first “Earth Day” celebration and millions participated showing that the overwhelming majority of people want clean air, clean water and a clean environment. The idea originated from an oil spill. In 1969, there was a dramatic oil spill in Santa Barbara, Calif., that received extensive media coverage. The stories showed sea lions, birds and animals covered in oil, struggling to survive, and suffocating and dying on the California beach. It stimulated the "Earth day" movement.

 This oil spill made an impression on Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin. It was Senator Nelson who came up with the idea for Earth Day. Forty years later, the only people who do not like Earth Day, are those who have and continue to create dirty air, dirty water and a dirty environment.

I was taught environmental ethics by my dad, well before Earth Day, who took me hiking, hunting and camping. “Always leave the forest cleaner than when you found it. Make it seem as though the next person feels like he is the first to visit this place.” He said.

Today, around the world, 500 million people in 175 nations, are celebrating Earth Day. Here are a few examples of what is happening:

+ THAILAND: Thailand is celebrating Earth Day by gathering more than 100,000 Buddhist monks from 30,000 temples around Thailand at a temple north of Bangkok. All share a goal of promoting world peace through inner peace. PraRajpavanavisuth, the Abbot of Dhammakaya Temple, is welcoming the other monks and leading a mass meditation. This year, the event is followed by the sacred tradition of the casting of the final set of 300,000 personal Buddha statues at the Grand Meditation Stadium.

+ CANADA: Museums, parks, schools and community groups throughout the region are offering programs to help citizens be more eco-friendly in their daily lives. Related events include the Earth Day Festival in Edmonton, Alberta; a Recycling Awareness seminar in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan; a Plant-a-Tree Campaign in Kawartha Lakes, Ontario; an Earth Day Extravaganza in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia; and spring cleanups and greenups in dozens of locations in most provinces.

+ MONACO: Monaco Earth Day Swim is a 2.5km, open-water swim in the Mediterranean. Participants help raise money for causes that support the environment and receive an olive tree upon completion.

+ SPAIN: Fair for the Earth takes place at the Parc de la Ciutadella in Barcelona, Spain. This two-day outdoor celebration the weekend before Earth Day features eco-friendly products, artisans, dancing, singing, music and discussions on topics such as health, alternative therapies, personal growth, fair commerce, ecology, and composting. Other highlights include the “ORIGENS” visual arts concert, Afro-Cuban and Native American dances, the Forum on Sustainable Energy, and a seminar on mind, body and spiritual harmony.

+ TEXAS: Prarie Fest, is a celebration of land in the City of Ft.Worth that was set aside years ago and attracts thousands of people to enjoy nature, and promote renewable energy.