Greenversations

Recently, I was listening to a radio show in which commentators were talking about the 40th anniversary of the lunar landing. I remember that evening very well. I watched the images of that historic milestone with my great grandmother in Puerto Rico. She was 84 then and we discussed how the world had changed during her lifetime. She described seeing the arrival of the first cars to the Island. She contrasted those developments with the news-breaking story of that evening on July 20, 1969, when the first man landed on the moon. Looking back to these 40 years, we’ve witnessed great technological advances and innovations we now take for granted. Travel in space, communications, and nanotechnology are just some of the things that have changed in the past forty years. And that brings me to the subject today.

I’ve always been attracted to the concept of the future. In the sixties, I remember going to the World Fair in New York and watching several exhibits which forecasted how life was going to be in the 21st century. In fact, one of my favorite cartoons, The Jetsons, was an animated science fiction sitcom which portrayed life in the 25th century as conceived by the producers back in 1963. There were robots, electronic contraptions, and flying cars. If you come to think about it, other than the flying cars, some of their futuristic ideas have become a reality. However, in remembering this series, I noticed something recently which made me pause and think. There was hardly any vegetation in that “future.” There were hardly any trees. No greenery. Is that how life will become in the 25th century?

When you come to think about it, a future without trees or vegetation would not only be scary, but deadly for all mankind. Many animals, including human beings, would not survive without any vegetation on Earth. Plants are necessary for multiple reasons—they provide us with oxygen and they are at the foundation of all food chains. Furthermore, they play a fundamental role in ecology—they cleanse the atmosphere of excessively large quantities of carbon dioxide emissions. So, when we think of sustainable development and environmental protection, these are not the fads of the moment. They are essential to our survival. We can all start working to protect our planet by pledging to take action in favor of our planet on Earth Day and every day.

About the author: Lina Younes has been working for EPA since 2002 and chairs EPA’s Multilingual Communications Task Force. Prior to joining EPA, she was the Washington bureau chief for two Puerto Rican newspapers and she has worked for several government agencies.

With Earth Day 2009 in the recent past, I got to wondering about what happened at the First Earth Day. Luckily, one of my colleagues in the Dallas regional office, William Rhea, was there and glad to share his thoughts.

Q: Why did you attend the first Earth Day in Washington 39 years ago? Was it connected to a school project or driven by your personal interest in participating?
A: In 1970, I was working for General Electric in Evandale, OH. I was visiting Washington to see a friend who had played on the University of Kentucky basketball team and was then an assistant coach at George Washington University. I went to the Earth Day festivities on April 22, 1970, because my friend said I should go to see what Washington demonstrations were like.

Q: What is your most vivid memory? Was it like a concert/festival or a demonstration?
A: Most vivid memory was the huge mass of people that were so passionate about the environment. It was like another world experience in that it was so new. After taking a job in Washington in 1970, I likened Earth Day to the Vietnam protest rallies - masses of people united by a thought. The other vivid memory was the incredible diversity of people, their ways of showing their environmental passion, and their ideals.

Q: Where were you in school at the time? Did you go on your own or with others?
A: I had graduated from the University of Kentucky in Mechanical Engineering the year before. Actually walked to the Earth Day rally from my friend’s apartment in Arlington, Va. and was alone or as alone as you can be in a crowd of several hundred thousand individuals.

Q: Was attending the first Earth Day your inspiration to a career at EPA working on environmental issues?
A: Attending Earth Day gave me the idea about working in Washington. Since I was raised on a farm, environmental issues were always important. It then took 7 months to translate that into taking a job with the National Air Pollution Control Administration, which became EPA on December 2, 1970.

I’ve known William for close to 30 years and can tell you that he is as passionate and curious about the environment as he was back in April 1970. EPA is lucky to have this Charter Employee still onboard and serving the American people.

About the author: Rob Lawrence joined EPA in 1990 and is Senior Policy Advisor on Energy Issues in the Dallas, TX regional office. As an economist, he works to insure that both supply and demand components are addressed as the Region develops its Clean Energy and Climate Change Strategy.

About the author: Lina Younes has been working for EPA since 2002 and chairs EPA’s Multilingual Communications Task Force. Prior to joining EPA, she was the Washington bureau chief for two Puerto Rican newspapers and she has worked for several government agencies.

The week prior to Earth Day I was surprised by the number of “green advertisements” on TV, in print, and on the Web. Everywhere you looked businesses where jumping on the Earth Day bandwagon. Eco-marketing was alive and well! While surfing the Web on Earth Day, I even came across a blog of some one who was complaining of the waste generated by all these so call “green ads.” Personally, I don’t necessarily classify these green ads in the same category as junk mail in terms of paper waste. But you do wonder if given all the resources used in the process—are people getting the true message about Earth Day? Well, my response is a resounding yes! Is this attention excessive? Definitely not! And should we do more? Absolutely! Let me explain.

I think in the last couple of months or so, the general public is starting to wake up to the idea that Earth Day goes beyond that one day of the year, April 22nd. Many schools and business were celebrating Earth Week. At EPA, we were gearing up to Earth Month many months prior to April. I believe that the willingness to take action in favor of environmental protection today is very similar to the first days of the green movement nearly 40 years ago. It’s true that thanks to the leadership of many known and unsung heroes, the environment is much better today than it was in 1990. Nonetheless, today we have new challenges that need to be addressed and require immediate attention.

More and more people are realizing that Earth Day is each and every day. We only have one Planet Earth with finite natural resources that have to be protected. Increasing awareness is just the beginning. Taking action is the most important part. So what are you going to do for the environment today?

We’ve made it simple. Pick 5 for the environment so you can go green everyday!

Sobre la autor: Lina M. F. Younes ha trabajado en la EPA desde el 2002 y está a cargo del Grupo de Trabajo sobre Comunicaciones Multilingües. Como periodista, dirigió la oficina en Washington de dos periódicos puertorriqueños y ha laborado en varias agencias gubernamentales.

Me sorprendió ver el gran cantidad de “publicidad verde” en la televisión, prensa escrita y el Web durante la semana anterior a la celebración del Día del Planeta Tierra. Dondequiera que iba se podían ver los negocios uniéndose a la fiebre del Día del Planeta Tierra. ¡El mercadeo ecológico estaba rampante! Mientras navegaba por la Red en el Día del Planeta Tierra incluso vi un blog de alguien que se estaba quejando del desperdicio generado por estos llamados “anuncios verdes”. Personalmente, yo no calificaría estos anuncios verdes en la misma categoría de correspondencia basura en términos de los desechos de papel. Sin embargo, me pregunto si dados todos los recursos utilizados en el proceso–¿acaso las personas están recibiendo el mensaje real del Día del Planeta Tierra? Bueno, mi respuesta es un sí rotundo! ¿Acaso esta atención es excesiva? ¡Definitivamente no! ¿Debemos hacer más? ¡Absolutamente! Déjenme explicar.

Me parece que en los últimos meses, el público en general está empezando a entender que el Día del Planeta Tierra es una celebración que va más allá de un día al año, el 22 de abril. Muchas escuelas y negocios estaban celebrando la Semana del Planeta Tierra. En EPA llevábamos varios meses antes de abril preparándonos para el Mes del Planeta Tierra. Creo que la voluntad, el deseo de tomar acción a favor de la protección ambiental que existe hoy en día es muy semejante al que presenciamos al inicio del movimiento ambientalista casi 40 años atrás. Es cierto que gracias al liderazgo de muchos héroes conocidos y desconocidos, el medio ambiente está en mejores condiciones hoy del cual estaba en el 1990. No obstante, en la actualidad hay muchos nuevos desafíos que tenemos que abordar y que requieren atención inmediata.

Más y más personas se están dando cuenta de que el Día del Planeta Tierra es todo y cada uno de nuestros días. Sólo tenemos un Planeta Tierra con recursos naturales limitados que tenemos que proteger. El crear consciencia es tan sólo el principio. El tomar acción es la parte más importante. ¿Entonces, qué piensa hacer hoy por el medio ambiente?

Pues, se lo hemos hecho fácil. ¡Seleccione 5 cosas por el medio ambiente y usted puede ser verde todos los días!

Each week we ask a question related to the environment. Please let us know your thoughts as comments. Feel free to respond to earlier comments or post new ideas. Previous questions.

Earth Day is a reminder about the importance of protecting the environment.  But after the events are over, we go back to the daily routine…  or do we.

What will you do differently now that Earth Day is over?

En español: Cada semana hacemos una pregunta relacionada al medio ambiente. Por favor comparta con nosotros sus pensamientos y comentarios. Siéntase en libertad de responder a comentarios anteriores o plantear nuevas ideas. Preguntas previas.

El Día del Planeta Tierra es un recordatorio sobre la importancia de proteger el medio ambiente. Sin embargo, una vez han pasado los eventos volvemos a nuestra rutina cotidiana…o acaso cambiamos.

¿Qué ha hecho diferentemente ahora que el Día del Planeta Tierra ha concluido?

About the author: Lisa Jackson is the EPA Administrator

Today, we’re celebrating the biggest Earth Day in history. One billion people – almost one in every six people on the planet – will stand up to show that protecting the Earth and those who live on it is our responsibility. How amazing is that?

This Earth Day, EPA is on the job, and working hard to protect human health and the environment. But we need your help.

Our web folks have updated our EPA page with a special Earth Day Pick 5 for the Environment Project. We provide 10 activities. You pick 5 and commit to doing them.

Once you get started on your Pick 5, you can share your stories in Facebook, photos on Flickr, and videos on YouTube. We’ll also have special blog posts here in Greenversations where you can talk about how you’re doing and help each other.

This is a defining moment. Some of the best opportunities we’ll ever have to make a change and save our planet are happening right now. The actions we take – or don’t take – are going to affect what happens today and for generations to come. That is our reality right now. But, there is plenty we can do.

We really can show that environmental protection and economic growth work hand in hand. We don’t have to choose between a strong economy and a clean environment, we just have to be smart enough to work for both. That will open the way to millions of green jobs in a low-carbon economy.

We really can lead the world in clean, homegrown energy sources, cutting emissions in the air, lowering energy costs for families, businesses and government, and ending, once and for all, our dependence on foreign oil. It’s a way to make the world not only cleaner but safer.

And we really can stop the rapid advance of climate change. We should be responsible enough to leave the world a better place for our children and grandchildren. But it takes a commitment from all of us.

Grow the economy. Strengthen our national security. Save our planet in the bargain. It sounds ambitious – because it is. But it’s a future that’s within our sights.  All we have to do is help each other to get there.

Okay I have to plug our project one more time. Visit http://www.epa.gov/pick5 to join our Pick 5 for the Environment Project and be part of the one billion people taking action this Earth Day.

We can do more to protect our communities and our planet than ever before. It’s up to you.

About the author: Michelle Gugger graduated from Rutgers University in 2008. She is currently spending a year of service at EPA’s Region 3 Office in Philadelphia, PA as an AmeriCorps VISTA.

Earth Day is a day for citizens to give back to their environment. It is a day that Americans have celebrated since 1970 in efforts to create a healthier and more sustainable planet. This year, it will be celebrated on April 22, 2009. Millions of people will come together to participate in volunteer opportunities throughout the country. Whether they will be cleaning up parks, clearing streams, planting trees or participating in hundreds of other types of environmental activities, the importance of their volunteerism is that they will be reducing the impact on the environment that we have all been creating. A great outcome in return from their work is that they will be able to really see the results of their efforts and know that they are making a difference. I encourage all of you to become involved in Earth Day activities too. There are many advertisements on the internet looking for Earth Day volunteers that you can register for. You can also go to EPA’s Earth Day website that will show you volunteer opportunities in your area. If you can’t find anything close to your neighborhood, I encourage you to start your own event. There are many things you can do, some examples of Earth Day activities that you can plan include:

• Storm water marking. In groups you can label the storm drains in your community to educate your neighbors about water pollution. Contact your community’s water department for the storm drain marking toolkits.
• Organize an Earth Day fair at your school or community center and invite your neighborhood. Educate them by creating environmental skits or by handing out information. Most organizations give out free publications as a part of their outreach efforts. EPA’s publication website can be found at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/publications.htm
• Plant native trees and plants around your community. Native plants are better for the environment because they provide wildlife, filter pollutants and absorb CO2 - a greenhouse gas which contributes to climate change. Go to http://www.plantnative.org/reg_pl_main.htm for more information.
• Start a recycling collection at your school. Examples of things to recycle include: ink cartridges, batteries, paper, books, newspapers, plastic bags, cell phones and magazines. A recycling center locator that will show you where you can recycle your collection materials can be found at http://earth911.com/.
• Vistit www.epa.gov/climateforaction/ for more ideas.

Can you think of any other Earth Day activities to be involved with on April 22nd? Be sure to let us know. Earth Day is a great opportunity to reduce our impact on important environmental issues like climate change, water pollution, air pollution and toxic land contamination. Last year an Earth Day activity in Philadelphia brought 15,000 residents together which created the largest one-day, citywide cleanup in America. Together, they were able to remove over 2.5 million pounds of trash and 48,000 pounds of recyclable materials. Their efforts cleared 3,500 blocks of litter and hazardous materials making the area a cleaner and safer place to live. Get involved too!!!! Become a climate ambassador in your community. Your efforts will support a good cause and make a great impact.

About the author: Brenda Reyes Tomassini joined EPA in 2002. She is a public affairs specialist in the San Juan, Puerto Rico office and also handles community relations for the Caribbean Environmental Protection Division.

“Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life”

Rachel Carson (1907-1964 - Biologist, Writer and Ecologist)

It was on April 22, 1970 when Americans first celebrated Earth Day. That historic event actually had its origins eight years earlier, when then Senator Gaylord Nelson, concerned about the conservation of our natural resources convinced President John F. Kennedy to promote conservation and an environmental agenda. Consequently, Nelson organized a demonstration to honor Planet Earth, an event that is now 39 years ago.

More than a celebration, we should reflect on what are we doing to protect our habitat: Planet Earth. Environmental protection is an individual and personal responsibility for all human beings since we are all part of the biosphere.

There are individuals all across the United States mainland and territories doing their part to protect the environment. For them it is not a fad or political statement. Their main concern is to protect our ecosystems and, at the same time, educate others about the importance of our natural resources and the species that inhabit them and are affected by our daily activities. These environmental protectors are the ones that denounce any environmental wrongdoing and ultimately get results.

Even though mass media helps broadcast such an important message as environmental protection, it is the actions of these unsung environmental heroes that raise awareness among the general public. Let’s commend the work of these anonymous environmental heroes. Let’s foster an environmental dialogue in our homes, communities and learning centers. We need to make environment protection a personal responsibility. That is the only way future generations can make a contribution to Planet Earth’s yet to be written history.

Sobre la autor: Brenda Reyes Tomassini se unió a la EPA en el 2002. Labora como especialista de relaciones públicas en la oficina de EPA en San Juan, Puerto Rico donde también maneja asuntos comunitarios para la División de Protección Ambiental del Caribe.

“Cuanto más centramos nuestra atención en las maravillas y realidades del Universo que nos rodea, menos ganas tendremos de destruirlo”

Rachel Carson (1907-1964-bióloga y escritora estadounidense)

Fue el 22 de abril de 1970 que por primera vez se celebró el Día del Planeta Tierra. Ocho años antes, el Senador Gaylord Nelson, muy preocupado por la conservación de los recursos naturales convenció al finado Presidente John F. Kennedy de realizar visitas a varios estados para promover la conservación y establecer una agenda ambiental. Como resultado en 1969, Nelson se dio a la tarea de organizar una demostración en honor al Planeta Tierra y fue así como inició un movimiento que hoy cumple 39 años.

Más que una celebración, este día nos debe servir como una reflexión sobre lo que estamos haciendo cada uno de nosotros para proteger nuestro hábitat: el Planeta Tierra. La protección ambiental es una responsabilidad que todos tenemos como individuos y no nos podemos deslindar de ella por que todos somos parte de la bioesfera.

Puerto Rico, estados de la unión y otros territorios estadounidenses cuentan con cientos de héroes anónimos que día a día hacen de la protección ambiental su norte. Para ellos y ellas no es una moda o un asunto de política. Su responsabilidad primordial es proteger nuestros ecosistemas y a la vez educar a otros sobre la importancia de nuestros recursos naturales, las especies que habitan en nuestro entorno y cómo estas se ven afectadas por nuestras acciones diarias. Son los que se atreven a denunciar a viva voz pero a la vez logran calladamente resultados y acciones favorables al medioambiente.

Y si bien los medios de comunicación ayudan a difundir tan importante mensaje, estas personas no necesitan reconocimiento mediático. Su mayor satisfacción es ver un Puerto Rico más limpio y ciudadanos educados con conciencia ambiental. Ellos no necesitan hacer ruido para realizar su trabajo ya que granito a granito construyen un mejor país. Son héroes de vocación y de oficio. Para estas personas, entidades, empresas y organizaciones de base comunitaria no hay protesta que no vaya acompañada de una propuesta y una solución.

Aplaudamos la labor de estos héroes anónimos del medioambiente. Mantengámos un espacio en nuestros hogares, comunidades y centros educativos para la discusión del tema ambiental. Respondamos al llamado de proteger el Planeta y hagamos de este nuestra responsabilidad personal. Solo así generaciones futuras podrán hacer sus contribuciones a la historia que queda por escribir del Planeta Tierra.