By Orita Bailey

EARTH DAY, the brain child of US senator Gaylord Nelson, who was disillusioned and disappointed by the lack of government action to protect the environment from industrial pollution and exploitation of the environment, is 40 years old.

EARTH DAY has been celebrated on the 22 April since the initial day of action to protect the environment in 1970. Gaylord Nelson was the Wisconsin senator who turned his frustration with the slow pace of official change into a movement of the the people similar to that of the anti- war movement against the Vietnam War. Additionally, the movement understood that this could not only be a national endeavour, but that all countries and peoples had to become involved to protect our earth.

Gaylord Nelson’s speeches on Earth Day emphasized that the environment must also include poverty, hunger, and urban blight. Nelson said, “Our goal is not just an environment of clean air and water and scenic beauty. The objective is an environment of decency, quality and mutual respect for all other human being and all living creatures.”

Following the success of the first EARTH DAY the third week of April was designated as Earth Week, focusing on encouraging youth through schools and colleges to become involved in environmental issues and keeping the environment on the national and world agenda.

EARTH DAY is now celebrated in 190 countries and is coordinated by The Earth Day Network, which believes that Forty years after the first Earth Day, the world is in greater peril than ever. While climate change is the greatest challenge of our time, it also presents the greatest opportunity – an unprecedented opportunity to build a healthy, prosperous, clean energy economy now and for the future.

The organisation sees EARTH DAY 2010 as a turning point advance climate policy, energy efficiency, renewable energy and green jobs. Earth Day Network is galvanizing millions who make personal commitments to sustainability. Earth Day 2010 is a pivotal opportunity for individuals, corporations and governments to join together and create a global green economy. Join the more than one billion people in 190 countries that are taking action for Earth Day.

Make a personal commitment to doing something to make change in your community by undertaking one or more of the following actions or think of those pertinent to you:-

Take a re-usable bag to the supermarket.

Don’t litter and pick up trash, especially plastic bottles.

Use a re-usable water bottle, stop buying individual bottled water.

Take home EVERYTHING I take to the beach.

Re-use, Re-cycle, Re-duce!!

Look for opportunities to teach children about protecting the planet.

Start a movement in your community to keep it cleaner, monthly clean-ups.

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