Happy Earth Day. Let’s begin today’s nod to Earth Day with a compilation of numerous videos from CBS’s Walter Conkrite on the first Earth Day from around the country, which contained a reference to Denver’s smoggy skies in the first segment. Going to school in a small southern Colorado community, I was somewhat sheltered from Denver’s air quality notoriety at the time and found was surprised the state capitol was specifically singled out. It speaks volumes of how important the issue was and continues to be featured in the news, especially with the extreme weather patterns we are experiencing across the globe.
The original idea of bringing attention to the environment came from Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wyoming following a 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. Sen. Nelson who enlisted the help of a young activist, Denis Hayes, had growing concerns for the environment following Rachel Carson’s book, Silent Spring which was gaining attention among environmental groups and wanted a unified cause to provide a way for disparate groups find a way to join together and bring information and education to people on the impact of pesticides were on farm workers and the environment.
The first Earth Day saw approximately 20 million people participate, many using the day to clean up streets in their neighborhoods. New York’s Earth Day parade shut down Fifth Ave. Later that year, The Environmental Protection Agency was created by then president, Richard Nixon. A condensed timeline can be found at the EPA’s website. Earth Day went global in 1990 and is now recognized around the world.
As you begin this week, I hope you take some time to look at your immediate environment and do something to improve it even if it’s just picking up trash or something a bit more lasting like not using plastic bags. January 2024 saw Colorado ban plastic bags from large retail stores as well as prohibiting restaurants and retail food establishments from using Styrofoam takeout containers.
Although today’s post is of a serious nature, we still want to end it with a small smile and hope it prompts you to do whatever you can to help this growing problem. Semper Fido.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Happy Earth Week! Thanks for sharing that background info. When I was a child, early 70’s, some friends and I started an “Anti-pollution Club”. I remember making posters and hanging them around town. I don’t remember for sure, but feel we were probably inspired by that first Earth Day. To this day, it has always been a cause that’s important to me. ♥
Hi Jan, thanks for swinging by. Earth Day is even more important now than ever. Kudos for starting early on sharing info to others. We really need to help Mother Nature who seems to be gearing up to wallop us.
I sure hope more people do more to help our planet, it’s all we’ve got right now. That is a funny cartoon, Maxine always nails it!
She sure does! We’re with you on hoping enough people get on board trying to help our planet.
Wonderful post, Monika. Yes, we have not done a fabulous job taking care of our planet. Hopefully, as we each do our part, she will recover.
Thank you! We definitely need to do much better.
That we do!
Java Bean: “Sí, I am happy to salute every tree I see, if you know what I mea—”
Lulu: “Like I just said, we ALWAYS know what you mean.”
And nature is no doubt grateful for it!
Haha!! That cartoon had me smiling…since I have just planted three redbuds, two today, one last seek, and one more awaiting its turn….have to decide where to put it!
But…um…well us pups won’t get to leave our messages on them, they’ve been fenced off, sheesh!
It’s the thought that counts, right?! 🤣 4 redbuds…very jealous. They’re so beautiful this time of year.
That Native Proverb is how we truly live. Do not throw litter or spit on your Mother (Earth). Do not pollute your Father (Sky). Do not violate your Grandmother (Moon). Do not kill wildlife & birds for sport.
We are supposed to be caretakes of our little pieces of Mother Earth…..
Humanity has not learned well enough…..sadly…..
{{{hugs}}} BellaSita Mum & ***purrss*** BellaDharma
Sadly, we keep making the same mistakes…over and over.
The earth will be here long after we’re gone because if we get TOO rambunctious? It’ll just give us an eviction notice.
Hope springs eternal though we’re really pushing our landlord to evict us these days.
Eesh, you got that right.
Timber lifts his leg in salute to Maxine:)
Happy Earth Day.
Woos – Misty and Timber
Awww…So would Norman & Sam in tribute.
I remember the first “earth day.” I was working and my bestie at the time was really into it. I don’t remember what we did but I’m sure we did something.
It’s morphed into quite the event. Now if they could just get governments on board to stop the senseless and shameless prostitution to fossil fuels.
I doubt if that will happen anytime soon.
Probably not. Money interests have become even more powerful in trying to avoid cleaning up the messes they’ve created. It’s been 50 years and Love Canal is still a poisoned environment.
🙁
Thank you for all the interesting information and the intersting video. I lived five years in Cleveland Ohio. The Cuyahoga river had caught on fire 12 times. Since then we have made a lot of improvements. Sulphur dioxide pollution (acid rain) is down 95% since the 1980’s (mostly because of scrubbers). Ozon depleting gases are down 99.7% since the 1970’s (mostly the Montreal protocol). We still have some big challenges, for example, carbon emissions and climate change and species extinction.
Happy Earth Day
Oh gosh, yes, I read about the Cuyahoga River fires. Unbelievable. Here’s to making more progress at a time when we definitely need to help Mother Nature out by reducing carbon and fossil fuels.
A super Earth Day post, Monika. Thank you.
Thanks John. I think that day is becoming more critical with each passing year.
I went to a shrub planting event which I will report on Sunday.
Bravo, you! Looking forward to Sunday’s post.
😁
Happy Earth Day, Monika … and thanks for a bit of the backstory of the occasion … and the cartoon chuckle.
Thanks, Frank. We’re of the belief that a little levity is always a good thing.
Happy Earth Day! XO
Thanks Ellen…and right back at you! 🌎 🌏 🌍
I remember the huge deal this was when I was a kid and Earth Day debuted. That was a really long time ago, and we should be doing way, way better than we are. That being said, there are little victories popping up here and there and hopefully more legislation and enforcement will turn the tide in favor of a healing Earth.🌎 Happy Earth Day, Monika and Ranchhands!
Every little bit counts…and helps. We just need to accelerate the bits happening. Best wishes in the spirit of Earth Day-i.e. reduce, reuse and recycle. 🌎
I love Maxine and she’s always right about things.
Happy Earth Day. We need to care for our planet so it can care for us.
I linked this post to Awww Mondays as always.
Have a fabulous Earth Day and week. Scritches to the pups. ♥
Thanks for adding us to your Monday link. Wishing you a Happy Earth Day. 🌎
Don’t we all love Maxine? And the earth? I cringe every time I see another stand of trees all cut down for more apartments or shopping, or storage units, or whatever. I do love that our home is surrounded on 3 sides by trees!
Thanks-let’s hear it for Maxine! Removing a tree for development gives us the major sads. People just don’t realize what they’re doing. 🌎 🌳 🌎
Mom says some humor in serious things is a good thing as it helps people to relax. Good to see Walter Conkrite, Mom remembers seeing him on the news when she was a kid. If everyone just did a few small things to help the earth, it would make a big thing. Change doesn’t have to happen over night, but people need to start changing their ways. Happy Earth Day!
You’re so right-little things can add up to big changes that hopefully just might save this planet. Happy Earth Day.
A beautiful post Monika and happy Earth Day to you too 🤗🌍💫 xxx
Many thanks, Xenia. If we all did something, it just might make meaningful enough changes to protect us all from ourselves.
Walter, the voice of our youth, a guy you could trust. 🙂
Hopefully, we are making progress and tenets of the Clean Air Act and the EPA and other reforms are held steady. Every day is Earth Day to me. 💙 💚 🌎 🌳
Boy, don’t you miss guys like him? Voice of reason and information, not conspiracies or personal put downs. Kudos to your daily efforts to saving our planet.
Way back we had an incinerator in our backyard where my parents burned our garbage. The smoke from it was dark and smelled awful. In 1950, the LA-county Smog-Control Director told the city council backyard incinerators had to go. It took 7 years to enact the first ban. It’s a slow slog getting politicians to make the changes to help the earth while citizens like us here plant trees and do what little we can. Happy Earth Day. Paulette
Oh gosh yes, I remember those days as a kid too! Yes, in addition to planting trees, we need to remove politicians who are beholding to polluters. #reducereuserecycle
Serious with a bit of humor… well done by you.
Thank you. We are firm believers that humor can make hard changes a bit easier. At least that’s what we hope. Happy Earth Day.
I remember the smog in London…you really could not see the hand in front of your face!
We are reforesting part of the finca…Danilo remembers which trees were there before it was cleared for coffee so that’s what we are planting.
Bravo for your efforts on the finca. It’s steps like that will hopefully and ultimately make a difference. Happy Earth Day, Helen.