It's Earth Day Thursday

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jayflash

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It\'s Earth Day Thursday

Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin initiated Earth Day three decades ago when the USA realized how important the environment was. Since that time we've reverted to plundering our world for profit and Hummers.

Are you doing anything special on this special day? May I suggest that if you aren't planting a tree at least give one a hug!
 

geepondy

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Re: It\'s Earth Day Thursday

I will go running if the weather holds out. What I often do is that if I come across small pocketable trash on my run, I'll pick it up. The other day it was a small walkman that very much got the worse end of a car/truck tire.

I also bike a lot on routes of northern MA and S. NH. Every spring I see new housing developments going up and it makes me sad.
 

Darell

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Re: It\'s Earth Day Thursday

[ QUOTE ]
plundering our world for profit and Hummers.

[/ QUOTE ]
What? You think maybe our tax dollars could be better spent? Just what is wrong with us subsidizing the biggest, most dangerous gasoline pigs on the road today? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif Seems like it would be good for American, and for the world in general. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Well, I'll be displaying my EV at two events. I'll continue to produce my own power for my home, and fuel for my car. I do what I can with the resources I have.
 

Flying Turtle

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Re: It\'s Earth Day Thursday

I remember the first Earth Day in 1970. I was a college freshman and it was a pretty big deal on campus. Maybe I'll plant some tomatoes tomorrow.
 

raggie33

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Re: It\'s Earth Day Thursday

[ QUOTE ]
geepondy said:
I will go running if the weather holds out. What I often do is that if I come across small pocketable trash on my run, I'll pick it up. The other day it was a small walkman that very much got the worse end of a car/truck tire.

I also bike a lot on routes of northern MA and S. NH. Every spring I see new housing developments going up and it makes me sad.

[/ QUOTE ]i miss running my knees are so gone i usedto run 10 k fastest was in under 40 minutes then my knees went bad
 

BB

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Re: It\'s Earth Day Thursday

And a happy birthday to Vladimir Lenin too!
Environmentalists celebrate Lenin on Earth Day:

[ QUOTE ]
Nikita Khrushchev, Soviet Premier after Joseph Stalin, decided in 1955 that the country should celebrate their national political philosophy, communism. He chose as the day, April 22, Vladimir Lenin's birthday, a tribute to the founder of the Soviet Union. When environmentalists decided that the Earth deserved a day of celebration in 1970, they could have picked any day of the year, as no one knows the exact day date of the Earth's birthday. They chose Lenin's birthday, just as Khrushchev had done. Was this just a coincidence?...

[/ QUOTE ]

-Bill
 

jayflash

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Re: It\'s Earth Day Thursday

A sincere thank you to all who do their part and walk the walk (or run) toward a better life for everybody. Our economy and national security would benefit if we got serious about our environment.

Yes, BB, it's pure coincidence. Desire for clean air and water does not infer support of a failed type of economic system. That's an extreme stretch to equate communism with a clean environment.
 

StuU

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Re: It\'s Earth Day Thursday

[ QUOTE ]
Desire for clean air and water does not infer support of a failed type of economic system. That's an extreme stretch to equate communism with a clean environment.

[/ QUOTE ]

Soviet-style Communism is the world's worst environmental and economic disaster of the last century. Some areas of old USSR are practically unlivable today. Chernobyl is probably the worst of a long list of environmental nightmares in the old USSR, eastern Europe, and China in some respects.

We have it a lot better here with a steady record of improvement in many areas until recently. Unfortunately, the right-wingers like Rush Limbaugh have been able to lump environmental concern with socialism and general wimpism among many of their followers.
 

BB

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Re: It\'s Earth Day Thursday

Doing a little further research, there are two "Earth Days". It appears the original was on March 21, 1970--the spring equinox.

You can read about the history (and San Francisco and UN resolutions) here:

[ QUOTE ]
EARTH DAY – to be a universal holiday -- to celebrate the natural wonders of our planet was first proposed by John McConnell in early October 1969 to Peter Tamaras, who headed the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Tamaras requested John McConnell to write an EARTH DAY PROCLAMATION. John McConnell wrote a Proclamation and presented it to the Mayor of San Francisco, Joseph L. Alioto. On March 1, 1970, Mayor Alioto issued that Proclamation as the Earth Day Proclamation for San Francisco.

[/ QUOTE ]

And here is an interview from a April 14, 2000 of John McConnell:

[ QUOTE ]
GA (interviewer) "But why April 22? What happened on April 22 that is so critical?

JM (John McConnell) What they tell you is that they 'just chose it for convenience on the campuses.' In 1970 they had a terrific protest movement going. They buried cars, and 'put garbage on corporate carpets'. See, the idea was about protesting pollution, and you know, to a certain extent that's fine. But the whole thing is that if you want to really build something worthwhile - you don't build it on a foundation of lies. They 'borrowed' the name 'Earth Day' for their event one month after we observed Earth Day. Then they represented their 'Earth Day' as the true Earth Day.

"I was urged to sue. But I just happen to be an Evangelical Christian, and I don't believe in trying to settle problems that way. I went to them. I saw them. In fact Denis Hayes told me he was sorry that they made a mistake on that since he didn't really understand. He wasn't the one that heard my announcement - and so he said they would come back to our day next year.

"But instead of coming back to our day, they tried to stop me at the United Nations. Senator Gaylord Nelson sent one of his aids to the Secretary General to ask him to change the date. He said that the UN has received the hospitality of the United States - and so here is a senator asking him to change [on that basis] the date to April 22.

"He [Secretary General] told him that I had come to him first, and that I had a much better idea - and that was it. He signed my proclamation.."

GA "But here is the whole point. Are they going to lock in April 22 - which is 31 days from March 21? Are they going to do this based merely on a giant student protest? A protest is not only a flimsy basis for such an important event as Earth Day - but it is negative and non-constructive by its nature. The Equinox is not only natural and symbolic - but intrinsically positive. Is the protest the real basis for this date - or is there something else?"

JM "Well, the only other thing they had was - and I really don't think they did it for this reason - because I think I understand where Gaylord Nelson is coming from. But when they had 'Earth Day' in 1970 on April 22 - it was the 100th anniversary of the birthday of Communism's Lenin in 1870."

...

GA... "What other reason could there be for the April 22 date? Can you think of anything else?"

JM "No. They said that they just arbitrarily chose the day because it would be convenient on the campuses at that time. It may have been because of the warmer weather and/or some connection with Arbor Day. But I know of nothing else."

GA "But is that true?"

JM "I think that it may well be. At least I'll give them the benefit of the doubt there."

GA "OK. But they arbitrarily chose it, and they arbitrarily nosed you out of any recognition for the work you had done. The sad thing is that it forced attention away from the correct Earth Day and its rightful author - you.

[/ QUOTE ]

Earth Day 1 web site

-Bill
 

ikendu

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Re: It\'s Earth Day Thursday

Last weekend, I was invited to speak on BioDiesel and "Earth Stewardship" at a Lutheran church in Iowa City. 35 people attended and there was a lot of interest in renewable energy. It was part of my obligation to Earth Day that I practice all year long. Every day, I drive a vehicle that is powered by renewable fuels that don't add CO2 to our atmosphere; my "off-the-lot" 2003 VW Golf TDI (clean diesel) running on soy fuel.

BB...I'm sorry to hear that by caring for the earth and respecting "Earth Day", that I have become the unwitting tool of Vladimir Lenin who's failed experiment in communism is no longer even operating in the country where it started. What? Have you become so cynical about our world that when someone creates a post celebrating people that respect our planet you feel compelled to impune the environmental movement with some reference to Lenin? >shakes head<

We only have this one planet. Maybe someday we'll all migrate to other pristene worlds in massive starships, but until then, our children will inherit the choices we make today. I'm proud of our efforts to clean the air and the water and to reduce pollution of all types. We should do more.

For anyone that feels wanting a clean, pollution free world is anything other than the highest virture...I'm sorry.

BTW...I'm not placing any money on the "massive starships" bet.

Jayflash...thanks for creating this post.
 

Steve K

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Re: It\'s Earth Day Thursday

Is it my imagination (or my location), or does Earth Day not get a lot of press anymore??

Anywho... I rode the bike to work as usual. And the Earth was appreciative enough to not rain on me. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinser2.gif

Steve K.
 

BB

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Re: It\'s Earth Day Thursday

I am not knocking conservation or "pollution free power". We live in a small home, drive a small car and do a pretty good job at conserving energy. I could easily "upgrade" my life style--but choose not to. And I look at the whole end to end effect of my choices.

If you want to blame my "cynicism" of politician's motives on something--I guess you can thank diversity for that. I am married to an immigrant. I have worked in large and small companies where in my group I was the only "native born American". My wife has seen entire cross group meetings (in a huge Japanese based company's large facility in San Jose) held in Mandarin Chinese. I have worked with a gay from the Soviet Union, a woman who was six when Pol Pot took over Cambodia, a Christian Palestinian who was born on the west bank, Vietnamese, Korean, Europeans, people from India, etc.

If you want to see people cynical of other people's motives, talk with immigrants. A politician who, apparently, takes the name and "lobbies" the UN to move one Earth Day to his Earth Day--after it is pointed out to him that the name and date already exists (and a spokesman of the senator had agreed to move the date back to the March 21st date), is just par for the course. As StuU has stated, communism has always spoke the great words--but it actions have left much to be desired.

I have become very sensitive to people's associates, associations, motives and their actions. There are lots of interesting things on the web connecting Earth Day II and other "organizations" together--but it is not going to change anyone's mind. Your and my fundamental political beliefs are going to color anything posted on this subject.

I drove a 50 mpg diesel 20 years ago (until it had almost 200,000 miles on it)... I don't claim to be an environmentalist--I just quietly practice environmentalism every day.

-Bill
 

chiaroscuro

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Re: It\'s Earth Day Thursday

It's a big community event in my town of 20,000--celebrated this Sat.
Lots of interesting events, a bike race, fun stuff for kids,cool exhibits--
EV's galore, technology demonstrations,my house gets exhibited ( more sometime on another thread). Usually, a couple thousand people participate.
In general,a good day out. What's not to like ?
BB-- call Earth Day a co-optation of Lenin's birthday /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 

jayflash

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Re: It\'s Earth Day Thursday

We only plant trees at the three grade schools in our hick town - pretty low brow, huh?

The USA is, currently, deficit spending our children's environmental future.
 

ViReN

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It's Earth Day Today.. 22 April 2008

Just watched "An Inconvenient Truth" and the extended Doc. on HBO ...

Yes .. It's earth day today ....again...

it's been 4 years .... since we have ever discussed this...It was very difficult to find this thread...

Hat's off to Al Gore for his efforts... I hope we as CPF community bring up more efficient LED lights ... not just Flashlights but energy efficient general lighting products to this world...

Let's have a greener tomorrow. (ViReN)
 
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ViReN

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Re: It's Earth Day Today.. 22 April 2008

I just read this while exploring more about the movie... does any one think he made the documentary for gaining power???
This isn't an inconvenient truth really. It is a convenient threat to the world, created for and by those people that want, but not really deserve power.

Because if people perceives a threat to the world, they will vote for a "saviour".

Don't be mislead. The greenhouse effect won't kill you. Poverty kills people, and one way to help poor people in the world is to let them burn "dirty" oil and coal. Another way is by letting the world economy grow, by not imposing excessive taxes on energy.
 

KingGlamis

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We live in a world full of hypocrites, especially the "Earth Day" enviros. I do my part to save energy and water and I want the world to be clean and pollution free. I do my part. Meanwhile Al Gore and many more like him pollute the environment a thousand times more than I do while preaching to us about Global Warming??? Hypocrites. The fact is nobody has proven that global warming is happening. Another fact is that the Earth has gone through many temperature cycles over millions of years, much of it caused by variations in the Sun. Ever heard of the Ice Age? That was before factories. So what caused it? Hmmmm.........

Earth Day is a joke. People that really care do their part on a daily basis. The Enviro wackos are the biggest hypocrites the world has ever seen. And they solve nothing.

BTW... MUCH of Al Gore's movie is fake/false. Those who believe what that movie states have not done their own research on the actual FACTS. But I'm not surprised, liberals don't often like facts.
 
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