Earth Day 2011

Earth Day is this Friday April 22nd! What are you doing to celebrate?

The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970 and has been celebrated every year since. Earth day was founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson, after years of being frustrated that the environment was a "non-issue" in politics. 20 million people took to the streets that first day, vastly exceeding even the most optimistic expectations. Republicans, Democrats, school children, college students, labor unions, housewives, doctors, religious leaders, bankers, retirees, farmers and everyone in between participated in thousands of local marches, rallies, parades, protests and other events. The first Earth Day was deemed a blazing success. The event was front-page news almost everywhere, and coverage was overwhelmingly positive. The event cemented in people's minds the importance of environmental issues as a community concern and an international political priority. Earth Day has since expanded to reach almost every country on earth, attracting around a billion participants per year!

So what can you do to participate in Earth Day 2011? Earth Day events are being held throughout the world and range from large scale actions such as the San Francisco Earth Day Festival to small scale events organized by community members -information on local events can be found at: http://act.earthday.org/events/. In addition to the Earth Day events being held around the globe, people who are eager to participate can pledge "an act of green" as part of Earth Day's "A Billion Acts of Green" campaign. Pledges range from donating money to simply picking up trash or using re-usable shopping bags - for more information on the campaign visit http://act.earthday.org/ .

To help get you in the Earth Day spirit here are a few freebies for you to enjoy this year on Earth Day. 

• Origins is offering a FREE Full Size Cleanser on Earth Day when you fill out this form and take in your current cleanser container empty or full to trade for the Origins full size Checks and Balances or A Perfect World (Value $18!!)
• Don’t Forget the Starbucks FREE Coffee or Tea offer!! Bring in a travel cup at Starbucks and receive a free coffee or tea.
• Disney Store is offering a free Reusable shopping bag! When you bring in 5 plastic grocery bags to recycle with them. Limit (1) bag per guest while supplies last. In store only.
• Saturday April 23rd Lowe's is giving away a million trees, visit your local Lowe's to get one!
• National Parks Week! April 16-24, 2011. Get out and discover something new about your 394 national parks. This year’s focus, Healthy Parks, Healthy People, highlights the connection between human and environmental health and the vital role America’s national parks play in both. Whether your prefer a 20-mile backcountry hike in Yosemite or a leisurely stroll around Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, moving outside is good for you and offers a chance to explore. During National Parks Week entrance to all parks is FREE!  So get out there and get to know your National Parks!

Happy Earth Day!