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Here's What Earth Day Means to You

Scott Dodd: Website Editorial Manager, New York City; Blog | About; Posted April 22, 2009 in Living Sustainably

Earlier this month, I asked readers in my blog, on NRDC's Facebook page and via our online newsletter to share what Earth Day means to them. And you did!

Here are some of the responses that made me laugh, smile or think:

Berit Ertman via Facebook: It's just like voting. You don't think your vote counts -- but it does. Speak up on April 22nd. Give a crap!

Debbie via Switchboard: My hope is that on Earth Day that I can affect at least one more person by example or through education and enlighten them to live their lives as lightly as possible and to think about every action that they make.

Back to Natives Restoration via Facebook: Earth Day shouldn't be about going to events, picking up a bunch of fliers and free plastic crap, then tossing it all once you get home and forgetting about it.

Alice Packard via Switchboard: On Earth Day everyone will be thinking green thoughts, so why not motivate them to change our future on such a wonderful day? I plan on spreading the word as much as possible about how our window of opportunity to make things better is slamming shut on us.

Colin Kennedy via Facebook: It means begging more people to give a crap about the small planet that allows all of us to survive. (You'll notice that the folks commenting on Facebook were fond of the word "crap.")

Sasha Rickard via Switchboard: As a young person, Earth Day means a chance to save the world I plan to be living in for the next 80-90 years.

Henry picture What makes me happy is seeing how many young people responded and how dedicated they are to the cause of fighting global warming and improving our planet. As I mentioned in my previous post, Earth Day for me is all about my new son Henry. (Here's the new photo that I promised to share.)

I hope that he'll grow up to share the care and commitment that many of today's young people do. (Ouch, that made me sound old.)

I'll conclude here with this thought from Ann Lihl via Facebook:

We need to live by example ... our kids follow our every move but not what we speak of, but by what they see ... and if they see US caring, the earth will be a better place.

I sure hope she's right. Feel free to keep those thoughts coming in the Comments section, and check out NRDC's advice and ideas to help you celebrate Earth Day today and every day.

Tags:: climatechange, earthday2009, future, globalwarming, takingaction

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Comments (Add yours)

Johanna Falber — Apr 22 2009 02:18 PM

My mother taught my sisters and I to be environmentalists w/o really trying. She would reuse paper bags, sewed our dresses from curtains, and vice versa, although financially, she did not have to....She taught us early on not to litter, to take only what we needed, care for others, respect animals and our planet. If I need a "new" end table (new to me!), I thrift before anything. Why buy a brand new table at full price when I can use one that was loved and used? I gladly do this to avoid having things wind up in landfils. My sisters and I are the ones that now scrowl at those that flick a cigarette butt out their car window. The other day my 15 year old and I took our puppy to a local dog trail. It had been windy earlier that day. I walked off by myself and returned to see my son picking up some trash that had blown in multiple areas. I know that we can't be with the kids everywhere, and God knows that they will make their share of mistakes, but if they see us doing, I believe that it impacts them more than the conversations we have with them and they carry a small part of us along with them every day....he made me proud that day.