SO WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH EARTH DAY?

Earth Day 2009 has just come and gone. I must admit that prior to this past April 22, I didn’t know much about its origins.

As it turns out, this year is an auspicious year to be introduced to the meaning of Earth Day. It was 40 years ago that the idea was born by former Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson. (The first official Earth Day took place on April 22, 1970, thus making next year the actual 40th anniversary celebration.)

It was reported that the 1970 event had 20 million participants across the US. This year, Earth Day was expected to have more than one billion people across the globe making commitments, taking action, and reassessing their lifestyle choices. The Earth Day Network seems to be the largest organization set up to specifically support Earth Day-related activities, but it is by no means the only one promoting proactive change for environmental – and ultimately human – benefit.

Hawai‘i-based Kanu Hawai‘i, Sustainability Association of Hawai‘i and Blue Planet Foundation are just a few of the many groups whose underlying missions reflect the values that drove the creation of the inaugural Earth Day.

Similarly, Aotearoa New Zealand-based Celsias, Intersect, Transition Aotearoa and many others encourage their members – and the rest of society – to be accountable for the future by making informed, personal decisions.

However, “[Earth Day] doesn’t raise awareness among the general public in the same way that it used to,” said Amy Cassara, a senior associate at the Washington, D.C.-based World Resources Institute in a recent National Geographic article. “But it still provides a benchmark for reflection among those of us in the environmental community.”

The lack of media coverage and paucity of Earth Day-related activities here in Aotearoa New Zealand seems to prove Cassara’s point. Not only was this disappointing, but I also found it to be counterproductive to the branding (“100% Pure,” “Clean and Green,” etc.) that this country is trying to build – though some would argue disingenuously – both abroad and at home.

Former Prime Minister Helen Clark won international accolades for her role in placing this country on the path towards carbon neutrality; Wellington was the international host city for World Environment Day on June 5, 2008; and Aotearoa New Zealand heralded itself as the first major country in the world to turn off its lights for the international campaign Earth Hour on March 28, 2009.

Yet, in spite of these – and many other noteworthy deeds – there were next to no activities relating to Earth Day. Why?

In contrast to Aotearoa New Zealand’s silence, it was almost deafening how much activity was happening in the northern part of the Pacific: the events at the University of Hawai‘i campuses (Mānoa, Kapi‘olani, Kaua‘i, Leeward, Windward and Hilo); Grow Hawaiian Festival at Bishop Museum; and articles about Earth Day in the media (such as this one) are just a sampling of how Hawai‘i demonstrated its contributions to the worldwide activities.

Clearly the state of Hawai‘i was not alone in its Earth Day awareness: National Geographic together with SunChips have put together the Green Effect competition; RenewableEnergyWorld.com offered a free job posting special in honor of Earth Day; the New York Times alone had more than 10 articles/blogs dedicated to the global celebration of April 22; and I even learned from Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show that Elmo has gone green (figuratively and literally) for Earth Day! And of course, there was President Obama's speech given at Trinity Structural Towers (a Newton, Iowa-based former Maytag plant revitalized into a wind turbine tower manufacturing plant). And this is just a handful of what was happening throughout the US.

Living down under and not participating in any Earth Day activities, I feel as though I haven't done my part…

As great as I might think writing this blog may be, I do not pretend that it aids in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions – arguably it contributes to it through the electricity usage of my laptop and lights. Thus, in honor (albeit belatedly) of my newly gained understanding of Earth Day, my next blog will be addressing the debate surrounding carbon offsetting. Specifically, I will be seeking verifiable, cost-effective and actionable ways for my family to offset emissions from our recent road trip to Lake Taupo (approximately 728 km | 452 mi), as well as my upcoming round-trip flight to Honolulu (approximately 15,194 km | 9,434 mi).

From the conclusions I reach based upon my research, I will be taking action.