Earth Day 2009

"I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues."

The Lorax (1971), Dr. Seuss

Earth Day is one of the best ways to speak out and show your support for the trees, the flowers, the mountains, the beaches and all the rest of nature.  And speak out, people do.

In 1970, an amazing 20 million people across the United States participated in the first Earth Day.  Nearly 40 years later, Earth Day is the world's largest environmental event. Almost 1 billion people participated in Earth Day 2007.  And that number should grow even larger this year.

Earth Day's founder, the late Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, believed the event was successful because it allowed concerned citizens to speak out for nature.

With Earth Day, Senator Nelson explained, "The American people finally had a forum to express its concern about what was happening to the land, rivers, lakes and air, and they did so with spectacular exuberance."   

Here's more of what he had to say.
  
How You Can Get Involved in 2009

Plant trees. Clean beaches. Restore forests. Even build city gardens. There are lots of ways you can participate in Earth Day 2009.

  
Earth Day officially falls on April 22, however, many activities are planned for the weekend before.  Earth Day Network and Green Apple Festival have planned volunteer events April 17-19 in New York, Boston, Washington DC, Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Austin, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. Not to mention some pretty cool concerts as well.  Learn more.

You can find more events and volunteer opportunities at EPA's Earth Day site. And don't forget the Earth Day Network. You'll find activities around the globe and you can calculate your ecological footprint all while drinking your coffee.  Check it out!