When is Earth Day April 22nd

As its name suggests, Earth Day is time to sit back and appreciate our
planet.  For some it may just be a moment to aware of the richness of
our environment, for others it may trigger a modification to their life-style.

Earth Day April 22nd

• Earth Day Origins
• Earth Day Flags
• How Earth Day
  Heightens Awareness
• Top Ten Facts to Ponder This Earth Day
• New Humour - 'Eco Joke'
• Humour for Earth Day

When Is Earth Day Origins

It was John McConnell back in 1969 who first proposed an Earth Day.
The backdrop was the peace movement, hippies and flower power.
However, John McConnell was older, wiser and more experienced than most of
those calling for give peace a chance.  One of his earlier slogans was
'Peace for Minute', but in 1969 he put forward the idea a holiday to
celebrate the Earth's life and beauty.

Earth Day Flags

Rarely can a movement have spawned so many different flags in such a
short time.

1. Above we have the famous life magazine image of our planet from space.
2. Here to the right we have the Greek letter theta, suitably drawn in green
   because theta is a symbol of peace.
3. We even have an Earth Day flag.

How Earth Day Heightens
Awareness

Entering into the spirit of Earth Day generates different feelings from
celebrating special days that merely bring back memories.  April 22nd
could be a day when you reflect on the wonderment of our planet, and that
may lead to small changes in behaviour which will help to preserve it.
People who embrace these values want is win-win concepts.  Eat a
healthier diet, which in turn could lead to less methane or carbon dioxide
released into the atmosphere.  Choosing local produce mean fewer lorry
miles, and eating more vegetables and less meat means fewer animals hence
less methane emission.

Nutrition

April is an ideal time to re-assess one's diet; the longer days and
warmer weather encourage thoughts of salads.  Just as there are so many
different but healthy diets, so there are a whole range of ways that people
can absorb, celebrate, and embrace Earth Day.

Re-cycling

In England schemes to re-cycle waste are gaining strength, we now have a
bin for paper and glass, a bin for general rubbish and third bin for food
waste.

Will and
Guy's Top Ten Facts to Ponder This Earth Day

1. We each use approx 12,000 gallons of water every year
2. The energy we save when we recycle one glass bottle is enough to
   light a traditional light bulb for about four hours
3. Every ton of paper that is recycled saves 17 trees.
4. Each gallon of fuel releases 20lbs of carbon dioxide into the
   atmosphere.
5. Many families throw away about 88lbs of plastic every year.
6. The rubbish dumped in a landfill site stays for a for about 30 years.
7. Each person throws away approximately four pounds of rubbish every
   day.
8. One bus carries as many people as 40 cars.
9. More than one third of all energy is used by people at home.
10. Approximately 5 million tons of oil produced in the world each
    year ends up in the ocean.

Do You Know?

The Water We Use Every Day [all amounts are approximate]:

a. 3 - 7 gallons for the lavatory
b. 25 - 30 gallons for the bath
c. 50 - 70 gallons for a ten minute shower
d. One washing machine load
uses 25 - 40 gallons
e. One dishwasher load uses 9 - 12 gallons

The
Amount Of Time Needed For Things To Decompose:

a. plastics can take 500
years
b. aluminium cans may take 500 years
c. organic materials
usually take 6 months
d. cotton, rags, paper all take 6 months

Do you know when is Earth Day? 
22nd April
every year.

The Worldwatch Institute

This organisation is based in Washington DC,
USA, and it has issued an "Earth Day Report" which details some of its
concerns which we share with you:

• One in four vertebrate species
  [birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish] is on the verge of
  extinction or is now extinct.
• The Earth's population has almost
  doubled since 1970, and in the same period the share of cropland per person
  has almost halved.
• One person in six alive today is chronically hungry.
• Between 1751 and 1970, 110 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide were
  released into the atmosphere; between 1970 and today 160 billion tonnes have
  been released.

An 'Eco Joke' - A Brand New Genre of Joke

Heard on BBC Radio 5 Live "Drive" programme.

'I have an obsession with wind farms.'

'Really?'

'Yes. I'm a huge fan.'

See more Earth Day jokes.

Humour for Earth Day

An Environmentalist Dies

An environmentalist dies and reports to the pearly gates. St. Peter
checks his dossier and says, 'Ah, you're an environmentalist - you're in the
wrong place.' Thinking that heaven could never make an error, the
environmentalist reports to the gates of hell and is let in.

Pretty soon, the environmentalist gets dissatisfied with the environment
in hell, and starts implementing eco-friendly improvements. After a while,
global warming, air and water pollution are under control. The landscape is
covered with grass and plants, the food is organic and the people are happy.
The environmentalist has become a pretty popular guy.

One day God calls Satan up on the telephone and says with a sneer, 'So,
how's it going down there in hell?'
Satan replies, 'Hey, things are
going great. We've clean air and water, the temperature is better and the
food tastes better, and there's no telling what this environmentalist is
going to fix next.'

God replies, 'What? You've got an environmentalist? That's a mistake; he
should never have gotten down there, send him up here.'

Satan says, 'No way. I like having an environmentalist on the staff, and
I'm keeping him.'

God says, 'Send him back up here or I'll sue.'

Satan laughs uproariously and answers, 'Yeah, right. And just where are you
going to get a lawyer?'

Bird Brain?

I can't help thinking the Environment Minister is a bit of a bird brain
....

Weather for Earth Day

When is Earth Day?
36 Days After Valentine's Day

22nd April (36 days after 14th February)

Footnote:
Please send us your Earth Day stories.