We love that over the last several years, Earth Day has become a friendly community event, with Earth Day fairs, tree plantings, and class projects. We do want to be sure to remember however, that on the very first Earth Day in 1970, one in ten Americans walked in the streets to demand cleaner air and water.  It’s hard to imagine 10% of our entire country rising up and saying the same thing at the same time, demanding that things improve.  It worked! The Clean Air and Clean Water acts were both passed through Congress and became law within 2 years – and they have had tremendous impact in reducing the severity of air and water pollution where we live.

It is heartening to think of what we can really achieve when we join together and speak with one common voice.  This Earth Day, we invite you to stop and take a deep breath, take just 2 minutes to really imagine what a world of possibility is out there, and what sort of a world we really want to live in.  Then, hopefully you’ll go ahead and take those small steps towards making that change, whether that’s changing your light bulbs, purchasing 100% renewable power for your home, or signing up for Practically Green to help make every day Earth Day.

As you do these worthy items, don’t forget – we can only do so much on our own.  When we work together and demand a better world as a community, we can achieve so much more than we think we can.  As we being to feel the pressures of climate change, as we run into limits on the amount of water available, and as we continue to fight for clean air and water, the level of change that is only possible when we work together is the kind of change that we really need.

How are you celebrating Earth Day today?