Earth day divides the planet - April 22, 2008
Some people are really getting into the spirit of Earth Day, the annual environmental awareness day. Some are most definitely not. It’s like A Christmas Carol, but with Al Gore as Tiny Tim and maybe Bjorn Lomborg as Scrooge.
The reoccurring theme of those giving their full backing to the day is “We don't need one Earth Day, we need 365 of them” (eg, The Montreal Gazette). A similar note is struck by the King Features comic syndication company, which has put out a whole series of strips demanding ‘earth day every day’ (news coverage). You know things are serious when Spiderman and Dennis the Menace get involved.
Actually though we are already supposed to be having Earth Day every day. This is International Year of Planet Earth – as detailed in Nature’s recent supplement.
Google has put out a special map to allow people to share Earth Day ideas. So far it seems no one in Europe has chipped in, but in the United States they’re promising to do everything from walking to work and taking the stairs to using biodegradable golf tees. Brice from Texas is taking a step that may well catch on as green trend: “I will shutdown my computer leave the work 1 hour earlier.”
Providing fuel to those who accuse environmentalists of over-hyping the problem, the Times of India declares, “it is pertinent to point out that in these years the planet has been mauled so collectively and nastily that its longevity has literally shrunk a million times.”
And here come the party poopers...
First there are those who think the whole event has become too commercial. Glen MacIntosh, of the Toronto Climate Campaign, organized a ‘Reclaim Earth Day’ protest on Sunday, the Toronto Star reports.
“People are being deceived,” he says. “They attend the Earth Day events thinking they are doing a good thing, but really they are being entertained, sold to.”
As the Wall Street Journal notes, “Launched in 1970 as a protest against corporate environmental misconduct, Earth Day has become a planet-hugging marketing frenzy for companies themselves.”
Over on Salon, Joseph Romm seems more interested in the nomenclature. After mulling a number of alternatives, he concludes, “We have fiddled like Nero for far too long to save the whole earth or all of its species. Now we need a World War II scale effort just to cut our losses and save what matters most. So let's call it Triage Day. And if worst comes to worst, at least future generations won't have to change the name again.”
There is another reason why people might not be totally committed to Earth Day though. Today is also National Jelly Bean day.
Image: NASA Visible Earth
Comments
Earth Day For Ever man
4:20
Posted by: cfsdaf | April 22, 2008 03:54 PM
I wish everyone would celebrate earth day every day It would change alot of things i think.
Posted by: Kayla | April 22, 2008 03:54 PM
yay
Posted by: cindy | April 22, 2008 05:12 PM
I think we should hug a tree once a week for the next year and see what will happen.
Posted by: jacob | April 22, 2008 05:26 PM
yes it eould change how people live so yes everyday should be earthday the planet would be a happy place.
Posted by: Bill | April 22, 2008 05:39 PM
Earth day is filppin cool... we should treat everyday like earth day, because our planet needs us!
lol yea.. (but please NO tree hugging!!!)
Posted by: Marissa | April 22, 2008 05:46 PM
ahh haha
go earth day.
Posted by: emily | April 22, 2008 06:18 PM
check this
Posted by: rizwan anwar | April 22, 2008 06:49 PM
..."Earth Day has become a planet-hugging marketing frenzy for companies themselves" ...ummm how did you think they capatilistic system would handle earth day - it's the only thing that could happen - there needs to be a shift in thinking - North America needs to stop praying to the almighty and the almighty dollar - These are the REAL problems - once we can take care of that - then we can take care of mother earth.
Posted by: Shane MacLeod | April 22, 2008 07:09 PM
In response to Shane Macleod comment about 'earth has become a planet-hugging marketing frenzy for companies' is totally valid. I work for web based company and we blogged about earth day today on savvywallet.com. I believe there are companies who are so-called 'green washing' their consumers. However, on our blog I talked about 5 companies who are leading the way. Look at is this way, we all have to make money to survive. We might as well make a difference with the money we make and with the products we sell.
Posted by: Austin Chu | April 23, 2008 09:27 PM