Earth Day 2016

Earth Day

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Tomorrow is Earth Day. Yup, there have been 46 celebrations of this event.

Of course, the first years of the event actually saw our governments- and us citizens- doing something. Here in the States, the (fairly useless) Federal Water Quality Control Administration was junked and (properly besmirched) Richard Nixon inaugurated the Environmental Protection Agency. (Back then, it was not a sin for a Republican to enhance the environment and habitat where we live.)

The first Earth Day was a US only event. Over the years, its mission has expanded worldwide- along with many participants across the globe, too.

I was busy designing and installing water reuse plants around the world back then. (We also were involved with the pyrolysis and biodegradation of solid wastes.) Because industry understood the ramifications of an agency with teeth. They also knew that reusing their water resource meant they relied less on government, the various rivers and seas, etc.

Earth Day 2016

Our air quality improved over the years. We no longer have 100 or 150 RED letter days in the US. Where folks like me are told to stay inside. (Not so true in China, though.)

Our rivers are cleaner. I am still unwilling to swim in the Potomac, but I don’t fear falling in while traveling in a boat or canoe.

We still need Earth Day because there is so much work to do. Climate change is real. (You do know we are not supposed to say Global Warming, since some climate change means places get colder.) Even though in America, we have a solid 34% of the citizenry (and 51% of our Congressional residents) swearing this phenomenon is fake. Like science should rely on popular (read: indubitably stupid) opinion. [Kind of like those creatures who swear that vaccinations are bad for their children. Leaving yours and mine at risk.]

Admittedly, my religion had its first Earth Day some 2500 years ago. The reference to Tu B’Shvat (the New Year for Trees, one of the four new year’s celebration in the Jewish calendar) is found in the mishna, the codified discussions of rabbis of old. (The mishna includes the first great rabbis; the talmud is the later discussion of what the mishna covered- but the talmudic rabbis lived around the time of Hillel and Jesus.) So, it’s kind of natural for me to consider the ecological effects of everything.

But, we don’t need religion for this project. We just need common sense and sci/tech (science and technology) to recognize that we need to promote the health of our surroundings. So our children- and their children- can enjoy the beauty of trees and seas, can breathe freely (despite Volkswagen and its little “creative” computer escapades), and keep our food supply strong and vital.

So, celebrate Earth Day. Whether you plan to help the cause by planting at least ONE of the 7.8 billion trees they hope to nurture by 2020 (I’ve been planting groves of trees in Israel every Tu B’Shvat) or will help educate your neighbors in pro-environmental activities is immaterial in the greater sense.

As long as you are part of the solution and not the problem.

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12 thoughts on “Earth Day”

  1. Are there ways to “plant trees” other than where live (meaning, my apartment complex?) I should look that up. I do want to be part of the solution. Thanks for the inspiration!

  2. In my lifetime, I’ve seen Earth Day receive an increasing amount of attention. So the cause is growing. You might also be interested in a second article I wrote. It’s right under the Earth Day image you saw previously.

  3. I am a member of my town’s environmental conservation commission. We’ve planted a number of trees in our town and will have to plant many, many more because of the scourge of the emerald ash borer! Thirty-five percent of our trees are ash. They thrive here because it is swampy. But they will add die. We must plant different trees to improve our biodiversity. We are planning a presentation in our town to educate the public about the emerald ash borer.

    1. It is a tragedy when these sort of diseases disrupt our tree population.
      I was involved in a method to eradicate Dutch Elm disease, Alice… unfortunately, by the time we had the product in hand, there weren’t enough elms left to save.

  4. You’re going to ruffle some feathers with this one, Roy, which is why I am sharing it on social media. I remember that first Earth Day. I can remember, growing up in New York City, smog so thick I could not see. Thank heavens I haven’t seen that in years. But the climate is changing, and it is scary. Be a part of the solution. And get your children those vaccinations.

    1. I have long ago decided that ruffling feathers was going to be one of my side occupations!
      Ah, yes, the smog of cities (especially Mexico City)- now relegated primarily to places like Beijing, where environmental concerns (sic) are less important.
      And, let us not forget vaccinating our kids- to protect them and us all!

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