Earth Day

 

Tomorrow is Earth Day, and I remember the first, 53 years ago.  I was in third grade.  We learned about it in "My Weekly Reader," which was an absolutely wonderful publication for an elementary school student.  It was just as the whole ecology thing was getting rolling.  You knew it was serious when Walter Cronkite's "CBS Evening News" dedicated a regular segment to saving the planet.

What's happened in the last 51 years?  There are a ton of community clean ups this weekend and I think that's great.  The amount of litter along highways amazes and saddens me.  People think nothing of flicking cigarette butts out car windows-- everywhere, even parking lots, where there are trash cans in front of just about every store.

There has been progress.  We recycle more.  We are more cognizant of our carbon footprint.  New technology, like LED bulbs, save energy.  Just about everything is more efficient.  It's a good thing.

On the other hand, it does seem as if we've been arguing about the same things for 51 years, with little movement.  I should be happy that at least we have a debate, and discussions are always a plus.

Be kind to your planet, tomorrow and every day.