Earth Day and World Environment Day 2005

Here is information about the real Earth Day, which is on the spring equinox every year (usually March 20 or 21), when the sun shines equally for all people:

http://www.earthsite.org/

You will see the Earth Day 2005 proclamations posted on the website, including San Francisco's, with short histories and summaries of what Earth Day is all about.

The original Earth Day, founded by John McConnell, was on March 21, 1970, and began with an event in Golden Gate Park. John created the Earth Flag in 1969, inspired by the first pictures of the whole Earth from space taken by the Apollo 10 mission, to remind us that we all live together on this tiny, beautiful planet, and that we need to take care of it. John would like everyone to become an Earth Trustee:

http://www.earthsite.org/trustee.htm

The Environmental Teach-In happened the next month, on April 22, 1970; but the Earth Day name was co-opted for this later event, wrongly, for political or other reasons. The Environmental Teach-In was a wonderful, huge success, and should still be called the Environmental Teach-In. Many teach-ins were done in those days for other things, too, like civil rights, and the Viet Nam War. The name 'Environmental Teach-In' is much more descriptive and appropriate for the important April 22 event held every year. The 'official sanctioning' (noted correctly by element7) of 'Earth Day' on this wrong date continues to this day, in error.

The Earth Day message is this: "All individuals and institutions have a mutual responsibility to act as Trustees of Earth, seeking choices in ecology, economics, and ethics that will eliminate pollution, poverty, and violence, foster peaceful progress, awaken the wonder of life, and realize the best potential for the future of the human adventure."

World Environment Day is now on the horizon, June 1-5, 2005, and is being held in San Francisco this year:

http://www.unep.org/wed/2005/english/index-flash.asp

The theme is "Green Cities: Plan for the Planet".

This event followed the first Earth Day, in 1972, at the insistence of Japan. It is like a world-wide environmental teach-in. There will be events all week:

http://www.wed2005.org/2.0.php

There is a wiki to contribute your well thought-out ideas for the "Urban Environmental Accords":

http://www.wed2005.org/wiki/

Both Earth Day and World Environment Day are recognized by the United Nations. This is the first time World Environment Day (remember Rio!) has come to North America, and it's happening in San Francisco! This is a very important event. Help get the word out!

Here is how to get involved with World Environment Day 2005:

http://www.wed2005.org/4.0.php

Pass the word!

 

Right on, the more awareness the better. Environment, Earth, shouldn't be specific to boundaries on a map.

 

Quite agree with you Element7. The more we can do to help the environment and raise awareness the better!