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Poll: Thoughts on Earth Day

How'd Earth Day treat you this year?

Posted by Grist at 10:46 AM on 23 Apr 2008

Read more about: environmental movement | holiday

Well, April 22 has come and gone. How was Earth Day for you? Take our poll below!

Poll
What'd you think of Earth Day 2008?

It was awesome! I saw lots of earth-lovin'!
It was pretty good. It raised some awareness.
Meh. It was so consumer-y.
I hate Earth Day and the earth.
It seemed just like any other day.
Earth Day happened? Why didn't anyone tell me?

Votes: 214
Results

carnage

The most interesting thing to happen on E-Day here was across the street from the Orion office a healthy and majestic fir tree was dismantled piece by piece by a crew and fed into a chipper. Ironic.

Erik

The Orion Grassroots Network: 1,200+ grassroots groups working for conservation & more

Not what they meant by "going green".

The general manager of my company sent a mass e-mail the night before Earth Day for everyone to show their "support" by wearing the color green. Meanwhile, the few recycling bins we have for paper (which we produce) are half-empty and the garbage cans are full of plastic water bottles. And I'm checking the bottom of my reusable waterbottle (after reading 'Ask Umbra') and freaking out over the fact that it has the #7 stamped in it. sigh

Earth Day

Earth Day this year seemed more like Earth Week. My TV stations had specials on sustainability and going green every day during the week when Earth Day fell.  Cable channels, like A&E and Bravo, had special 'green' commercials during that week.  This year, the media especially heighted awareness when it came to Earth Day; however, it was a short lived affair.  After Earth Day, the specials/stories on TV about sustainability, social responsibility, or going green stopped.  So, while awareness was raised, what did people really do? Did they make life changes or contemplate learning more about environmental and social issues?  My guess is that most did not.  Going green was portrayed in a fun and capricious manner.

If we want people to truly take something away from Earth Day, the media has to make an effort that is sustainable.  They should add a permanent section to their show about sustainability.  Furthermore, Earth Day should start shifting towards action rather than awareness.  As a unit, communities should do something like have subsidized public transportation for the week or promote vermi-composting.    Earth Day can truly make a change in how others perceive sustainability and social responsibility.


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