Staff reports - April 22, 2008
iBerkshires
NORTH ADAMS — It was 38 years ago today that the first Earth Day was celebrated. At the time, the focus was on the pollution of the nation's land and air.
That hasn't changed — but now climate concerns and green technologies are taking a more important role and the once American-centered initiative is recognized worldwide.
So what is Earth Day?
Then U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin proposed the first nationwide environmental protest. An estimated 20 million Americans participated, demanding cleaner air and water and greater efforts to care for the environment. It led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species acts. Nelson was awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom for his efforts.
In 1990, Earth Day went global, mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries and lifting the status of environmental issues on to the world stage. It boosted recycling efforts worldwide and helped pave the way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
EPA Administrator William K. Reilly and Gaylord Nelson, Earth Day 1990. Photo: EPA History Office |
The effects of human consumption on the environment and concerns over global warming has created a new generation of environmentalist. While litter and endangered species are still an issue, today's generation has broadened the scope of environmentalism to include renewable resources, alternative energy research, sustainable agriculture and heightened awareness of where the products we eat and use come from.
Environmental concerns have become an integral part of the public debate, either pushed by grassroots organizations or spearheaded by local and state officials.
Massachusetts, for example, has embraced green with a fervor. In one of his first acts as governor, Deval Patrick signed a pact with other Northeast states committed to reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases. The Green Communities Act seeks to establish energy goals and implement them through statewide clean energy initiatives and reforms.
For more about Earth Day, check out the Earth Day Network. The site offers a wide number of links about climate change, air pollution and activism.
To find out what Massachusetts is doing to keep the environment clean and promote new technologies, head to the Department of Environmental Protection.
Stephen Johnson, administrator for the EPA, discusses Earth Day 2008, environmental responsibility and the major issues his agency is dealing with in a multimedia format here.
For a hip and often snarky look at the green community, try Zaproot, part of the Viropop green network. This week's broadcast is all about the Chinese declaring war on the weather, among some other cool tidbits. You can also find them through iBerkshires' YouTube site.
Zaproot also offers forums, blogs, news and links to everything green.
If you really want to go green, join the party! Ecological wisdom (and grassroots democracy) are among the 10 key values of the Green Party.
For hard-core environmentalists, there's treehugger.com. The site offers advice on greening everything from your wedding to your sex life to your baby to your funeral.
Earth Day isn't just for people. Our impact on the environment affects the plants and animals that share this world with us. To find out what's in trouble and how you can help, try the World Wildlife Federation. Or for closer to home, investigate the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's endangered species program.
Don't think your actions affect the Earth? Take the carbon calculator test at Climate Crisis, the Web site for Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth," or the test at the New Hampshire Carbon Challenge site, where Williamstown has been knocked out of the top 10.
It's not easy being green but there are local groups and activities that will help you celebrate Earth Day and learn more about your environment.
Here are activities planned over the coming week:
Tuesday: Topia Arts Center and C.T. Plunkett Elementary School will host an Earth Day performance and fair at the school Tuesday night, from 4 to 7 p.m. Exhibitors in the gymnasium include the Hoosic River Watershed Association, the Center for Ecological Technology, the Berkshire Museum and the Topia Arts Center and Topia Inn.
Northern Berkshire Solid Waste Management District will present "Worms Are Us," a traveling worm bin that teaches composting, "recycling" games, songs, and activities and HooRWA will teach students about storm water and runoff in "Gazillion Gallons," a game that calculates how many gallons of runoff come from Plunkett.
Additionally, the C.T. Plunkett Library Corner gives kids a chance to have a seat, get comfy, and read environmentally-themed books. Other activities include an Earth Day book sale, a recycled clothing table, a tree sale, an organic snack sale, a kid art galley, a Chinese raffle and a display of Earth Day science projects.
At Berkshire Community College, a demonstration of the workings of a hybrid car will be held in the quad area and a presentation on wind turbines will be given by Betsy Strickler from Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort at 12:15 p.m. in the small auditorium of the Koussevitzky Arts Center.
Old clothing and textiles will be collected in the Susan B. Anthony lounge from April 22 through April 25. Items needed include dry clean clothing, unwanted clothing, footwear, sheets, coats, and blankets. Rugs, carpets or pillows will not be accepted. Items must be packed in strong plastic bags and placed in the bin marked "Textile Drive."
Wednesday: BCC will host an environmental fair April 23 from 9 to 11 a.m. in the Susan B. Anthony lounge and will feature community environmental groups. Members of BCC's Conservation Club will be on hand to answer questions and, at noon, a hike will be led by Tom Tyning on BCC's nature trail. Participants must sign up at the Conservation Table in the SBA lounge in the morning.
A workshop on green home construction and the new Massachusetts Residential Energy Code will be offered by the Center for Ecological Technology from 8:30 to 10 a.m. at the Lenox Town Hall.
The workshop is free for residential contractors and related trades people. Sign-in and refreshments will begin at 8 a.m. The workshop will help builders comply with energy code measures and be able to better respond to the growing demand for green home construction.
Thursday: The Berkshire Environmental Resource Center at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts will present the final installment of its series of 14 "Green Living" seminars at 7 p.m. with "Moving towards a Sustainable Future," in Murdock Hall conference room 218.
The series, "Achieving Energy Sustainability for the 21st Century: Choices and Challenges," is free and open to the public. This lecture coincides with MCLA's annual Professor Lawrence H. Vadnais Environmental Issues Lecture, which this year will be given in honor of Bill Seeley, a former MCLA physics professor, who passed away in 2007. Immediately following the lecture, the College community will pay tribute to Seeley, who had a 41-year career at the college, which began in 1966.
William Moomaw is the featured speaker for the lecture.
Friday: The Dr. Suess video "The Lorax," his timeless tale of the environment, will be shown in MCLA's Anthony lounge at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.
Saturday: CET will hold its 13th annual Earth Day textile drive on Saturday, April 26, and Sunday, April 27 at 112 Elm St. Pittsfield.
Materials will be accepted at CET on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. In addition, residents may drop clothing in the metal bin at the back of the parking lot at the Berkshire South Regional Community Center at 15 Crissey Road in Great Barrington through April 27.
Additional drop off sites include the Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation at Sheep Hill, 671 Cold Spring Road. It will accept clothing packed in clear plastic bags at the red metal barn -- the overhead door will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week of April 22 to April 25.
All types of clothing will be accepted, including sweaters, shirts, skirts, pants, jackets, overcoats and raincoats. Blankets, gloves, socks, paired shoes and winter boots, sheets, towels, and curtains are also acceptable. Clothing must be clean, dry and packed in strong plastic bags, such as garbage or lawn-leaf bags. Rugs, carpeting and pillows will not be accepted. Do not bring clothes on hangers.
From noon to 5, Wild Oats, a cooperatively-owned whole foods market, will host an outdoor celebration in honor of Earth Day. Local farmers, organizations and businesses will be on hand to share their knowledge and offer practical ways to respond to environmental problems at the local level.
Sunday: A park cleanup at Burbank Park on Onota Lake will begin at 9 a.m. Anyone interested in helping with the cleanup, can meet at the Controy Pavilion at Burbank Park at 8:30 a.m. Bags and gloves will be provided.
North Adams Regional Hospital went smoke-free Monday — so did all its sister sites, from Sweet Brook to Northern Berkshire Family Practice to the Women's Exchange. No ashtrays, no smoking: No butts about it.
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