Wednesday, April 21 2010
Earth Day 2010
Mother Earth. And who doesn't like their mother? April 22, 2010 is Earth Day. Founded in 1970 by US Senator Gaylord Nelson, it grew as a response to dangers posed to our ecosystem and our world. Folks my age will remember the burgeoning awareness of environmental matters at the time, triggered by books like Rachel Carson's Silent Spring and numerous environmental changes. According to Wikipedia,
On April 22 1970, Earth Day marked the beginning of the modern environmental movement. Approximately 20 million Americans participated. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, Freeway and expressway revolts, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values.
Earth day isn't just for our American cousins: it's observed in every nation on earth. Earth Day Canada is a national environmental charity established in 1990. It
provides Canadians with the practical knowledge and tools they need to lessen their impact on the environment. In 2004, it was recognized as the top environmental education organization in North America, for its innovative year-round programs and educational resources. . . In 2008, it was chosen as Canada’s “Outstanding Non-profit Organization” . . .
Sounds pretty cool to me--go Canada!
What does all this mean? It's pretty clear to me that it only makes sense to take care of your stuff and keep things clean. By extension, the air we breathe, the water we drink and the land we live on is our 'stuff', and keeping pollution, over-exploitation of resources and environmental damage in check constitutes good housekeeping.
And you don't have to be a giant government organisation or a powerful lobby group to do good work: being a good shepherd of our earth starts small and it's easier than you might think. Recycling is a great start, gardening, composting, using a fuel-efficient vehicle or mass transit helps, pre-cycling (choosing consumer goods made out of recycled materials) and supporting your community's environmental actions are all good. If you're already a winemaker you've got a leg up by saving bottles and re-using them, which diverts a very energy intensive material from ending up in a landfill--who knew drinking could make you feel good?
Burns Bog at sunset. Photo by Graham OsborneIn addition to my organic garden and my beloved compost pile, Steamy, and other things, I have a favorite environmental concern, Burns Bog. The bog is the largest domed peat bog on the West Coast, and it covers 40 square kilometers, a quarter of the community it is located in. It's constantly under threat by developers and greedy (not evil, just greedy and fairly stupid) politicians who want to pave it, turn it into a garbage dump or build roads through it until it's degraded enough that they can sell it off to developers to put up more astronomical Vancouver real estate.
Sure it's in the middle of an important body. What vital organ isn't? Yep, I'm a little exercised over the Bog. But it's the liver and lungs of the lower mainland, soaking up air pollution and releasing oxygen, and filtering rainfall and re-evaporating it into the atmosphere. Filtering is the right word, as the bog de-toxifies run-off water, purifying it for fish, and provides an ecosystem for many different species of plants and animals, like Sandhill cranes, Trumpeter swans and bald eagles and bears. I think it's worth saving.
Now, while I and the Burns Bog society would be immensely pleased if you'd contribute to the cause, if you're not from around here I encourage you to get involved in your community's eco-health. There's always a stream that needs rehabilitating and re-stocking, planting even the smallest garden can help reduce your carbon footprint and environmental organisations in your area are always looking for volunteers and time.
So tomorrow make sure to tell your Mother you love her, and do something nice.
| Posted by Big Earthy Tim AT 12:11PM | 0 Comments |  |
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