A few days ago EMC employees received an email reminder that Earth Day was coming on April 22nd.
That's today.
On May 3rd we'll have our own events to focus attention on EMC's global environmental sustainability programs that "save resources to benefit the environment and our local communities".
This is the 42nd year for Earth Day and 175 countries have now joined in. For the U.S., significant strides have been made in the raising of our collective consciousness, establishing the Clean Water and Clean Air acts, and expanding our understanding of personal as well as policy impacts.
The idea of Earth Day is credited to Senator Gaylord Nelson, a Democratic U.S. Senator from Wisconsin who understood the dire and broader environmental implications after a massive oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara. This was during the Vietnam war and the anti-war movement inspired him to adopt their tactics and orgainize environmental consciousnes raising rallies across the country. The result marks the rise of the modern US environmental movement - April 22nd, 1970.
From today's perspective, there's another important lesson to be learned here.
This was a bi-partisan initiative.
Nelson recruited an envrironmentally concerned Republican Congressman to co-chair his efforts.
Wow!
You mean Democrats and Republicans (at least some of them) agreed on an action plan about the environment? They even worked together? Proudly?
Yep.
Wouldn't it be productive if we could gain that sort of understanding today.
Regardless, the impact of that collaboration is still growing. Today, the Earth Day Network helped organize a rally on the national Mall and at hundreds of venues in cities across the country and around the globe from Bangalore to Barcelona.
Even if the politicians don't get it. The people do.
Last week the Boston Globe looked ahead to Earth Day with some pictures, both beautiful and scary, that have to make any observer think about what we have and what we may very well see slip away.
The US EPA site has a number of Earth Day related notes and lots of suggestions for those looking to do their part. One section collects "six word essays".
That is, essays that are only six words long.
Many nations. One planet. Our home.
Shorter than a Tweet.
Best from my perspective is only five, and the most obvious too:
" Make every day Earth Day".
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