I made the below video almost two years ago, but I have recently changed up the audio. This video is a culmination of facts about our environment as well as ways we can improve the environment. I think you'll learn something. I see it as the video version of the Ways2GoGreen website. Enjoy.
Earth Day is an annual holiday founded by peace activist John McConnell, who also designed the Earth Day Flag. It started as a grassroots effort to inform people to support environmental concerns and create a movement. Now there are millions in the world who celebrate Earth Day each year on April 22nd. If you haven't already, learn more about Earth Day and become involved.
The first official Earth Day was on April 22, 1970. The day was proposed by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson. It marked the beginning of the modern environmental movement. Approximately 20 million Americans participated that year, with a goal of a healthy, sustainable environment. Denis Hayes, the national coordinator, and his youthful staff organized massive coast-to-coast rallies. 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, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values.
In 1990, 200 million people in 141 countries celebrated the day and lifted the status of environmental issues onto the world stage. Earth Day gave a huge boost to recycling efforts worldwide and helped pave the way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit. For 2000, Earth Day had the internet to help link activists around the world. By the time April 22 rolled around, 5,000 environmental groups around the world were on board, reaching out to hundreds of millions of people in a record 184 countries. Including, hundreds of thousands of people gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Earth Day 2007 was one of the largest Earth Days to date, with an estimated billion people participating all over the world.
The Earth Flag was designed in 1970 by Earth Day founder and pioneer John McConnell, an early leader in the international peace movement. Inspired by the striking first photographs of the whole Earth taken during America's historic Apollo 10 space mission in 1969, this symbolic creation attained immediate world-wide recognition, including a lifetime association with renowned anthropologist Margaret Mead. Dr. Mead carried what she called "the flag for all people" with her wherever she appeared from 1969 until her death in 1977.
Earth Day originally had a symbol that was a combination of the letters "E" and "O" taken from the words "Environment" and "Organism", respectively. Later a theta was used because of its historic use as a warning symbol, or the peace symbol. Theta is now associated with Earth Day.
Celebrate the planet locally or globally every day, not just on Earth Day. To find Earth Day events in your area, go to Earth Day events.
Last week I had a great vacation, but it started with an unexpected frenzy in the region Sunday and Monday. The storm seemed to take forever to make landfall. When it did just produced a little wind and rain in our immediate area of the Emerald Coast (between Pensacola and Panama City in the panhandle of Florida).
The first full day after the storm had left, many dolphins came close to shore to do some swimming and jumping around. If you've ever tried to take a picture of a dolphin in the water you know that it isn't easy to catch them in the act. The above photo is the best one. Yep, that's a dolphin and not a shark.
Fortunately for me, next week, I will be on vacation enjoying Florida's Emerald Coast. I desperately
need to recharge my batteries. It will be a
true vacation, in that I've decided not to bring my laptop. Oh my! Not only no tweeting, no Facebooking or
no other social networking stuff, but not much news or other normal connections to the outside world.
When I go on vacation I like to "get off the grid".
Henceforth, next week I won't be writing on this blog or on my
Louisville Green Living Examiner page. Hopefully, I'll have some new material to write about when
I get back.
Dear world, don't do anything too exciting next week as I might miss it. Cheers!
I will be snorkeling, but not with a laptop. Sorry Charlie.
I just recently saw the eco-mentary IMAX Coral Reef Adventure. I found it a very memorable look at coral reefs and the danger the coral around the world is facing. The film is narrated by Liam Neeson and contains music from Crosby, Stills and Nash. How cool is that? I recommend it for everyone. Below is the link to the trailer for Coral Reef Adventure:
From the coralfilm.com website:
"Coral Reef Adventure follows the real-life expedition of ocean explorers and underwater filmmakers Howard and Michele Hall. Using large-format cameras, the Halls guide us to the islands and sun-drenched waters of the South Pacific to document - in the health and beauty of coral reefs. In IMAX® and other giant screen theatres, you'll feel like you're diving and exploring right alongside them."
"Coral Reef Adventure contains the most beautiful underwater footage ever to hit the giant screen. Shot in the South Pacific, it captures the breathtaking color, texture and movement of living coral reefs in stunning detail."
-- Cincinnati Enquirer
"Created by the same team that produced Everest, this new IMAX offering may do the best of any in merging education with entertainment. . . The beauty of the marine life, flashing turquoise, orange and iridescent blue, will send winter-weary Wisconsinites into tropical transports. The eye candy may be fishy, but it still mesmerizes. Coral Reef Adventure also boasts the best soundtrack of any IMAX film that's not "Rolling Stones at the Max."
--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Coral Reef Adventure trailer
I've recently heard and read a lot of discussion lately about the date of December 21, 2012 being the end of
the world as we know it. Some say it is the End of Days and will be the end of human life on our
planet. Others think that will be the day when something BIG will happen where the world will not be the
same ever again, good or bad.
This date of December 21, 2012 has been important to many for the past few centuries.
The Mayan "long calendar" comes to an abrupt end on this day. This is where the phrase "End of Days" comes from.
Nostradamus supposedly predicted catastrophes on this date over 500 years ago. Also, on that date,
for the first time in 26,000 years, the sun will rise in alignment with the center of the Milky Way
and some say this will cause the Earth's poles to switch polarity. This would not be a good thing.
Now, many who believe in this theory look to the current state of our planet as more evidence that
the likelihood of something catastrophic happening soon is possible. The planet is getting warmer causing
melting of ice caps. Many areas are drying up and water supply is more scarce. The increase in the
number of dangerous hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados and typhoons. More deadly disease around the world,
not in just poor countries. Also, the demand for oil has peaked and many, many others.
The December 2012 theory has gone mainstream. CNN.com had an article titled
"Apocalypse in 2012? Date Spawns Theories, Film". The film the article refers to is "2012", which comes out in the fall of 2009 and stars John Cusack and directed by
Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow). Find out more about the movie "2012"
here.
Whether or not you believe the December 2012 End of Days Theory one thing should be crystal clear. We
need to do more to conserve our natural resources in addition to combating climate change. Learn with
your children about helping the environment. This website and many others would be a good start.
I don't know about you, but I expect to be here past December 2012 and hope to be surrounded by a greener planet.
World Oceans Day was proposed in 1992 by the Canadian government and
has been designated by the United Nations. The Ocean Project, working closely with the World Ocean
Network each year, helps to coordinate events and activities with aquariums, zoos, museums, conservation
organizations, universities, schools, businesses. It is recognized every June 8th.
Each year, throughout the world, engaging events are planned to highlight our oceans, coasts and seas and the marine life they contain, and to provide opportunities for people to get directly involved in their protection – beach clean-ups, educational programs, art competitions, film festivals, sustainable seafood events and other activities.
The 7 C's for ocean conservation:
- Commit to making a real difference
- Conserve in your home
- Consume consciously
- Communicate your interests and concerns
- Challenge yourself daily
- Connect in your community
- Celebrate our ocean!
One easy thing that all supporters can do is to wear blue in honor of the ocean. It is also suggested
that you not only wear blue, but let people know why: tell people two things they likely don't know about
our ocean and how they can help.
Some ideas of celebrating World Oceans Day are the following:
- organize a beach/ocean cleanup
- plant trees
- raise ocean awareness
- sustainable seafood event
- sand sculpture contest
There are numerous activities throughout the world affiliated with World
Oceans Day. For more
information, go to the official
World Oceans Day website. Visit and join my Clean Oceans twibe.
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