We hope you've left some time in your schedule to observe Earth Day 2007 this weekend. The Earth Day Network is serving as a clearinghouse for events. So check for something close to home. Unless you live in the Washington area…then you might want to head into the district. A key protest in the United States will be a march on the Capitol to demand that the nation that burns the lion's share of energy pledge to reduce greenhouse emissions by the year 2050 to a level that is 80 percent below 1990 levels. This goal is becoming a consensus among scientists and activists as a level that could stabilize global warming, which most scientists now agree is being hastened by human pollution. If you can't join the protest, you can sign an online petition at the EDN website. Want to know more? Read the EDN Climate Change Position. If you're old enough to remember 1970, when the first Earth Day was celebrated, take a minute to recall how that day and eco-movement changed so much. People began recycling and using natural foods. Pollution fines were put in place. Unfortunately, Detroit automakers didn't think too long about their part in the 1970s. And as time wore on, many of the positive things that got started with the first Earth Day became marginalized in the larger society. It's been 37 years. Could it be time to review the facts and reconsider some of the ways in which we contribute to the problem? Ok, enough preaching. Enjoy the spring weekend. Go get a composter or visit a farmer's market. Then commemorate Earth Day and join a local group working to save the planet for our kids.
— B. Kessler