Celebrate Earth Day!

1. Celebrate Earth Day!

2. Proposed Earth Day Resolution: WHEREAS;As Earthians we need a day to celebrate our global unity and destiny, and WHEREAS;The observance of EARTH DAY will alert concern and interest for our planet -- with its precious treasure of living things, and WHEREAS;EARTH DAY is to remind each person of his right, and the equal right of every other person, to the use of this global home and at the same time the equal responsibility of each person to preserve and improve the Earth and the quality of life thereon, BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED;That in the City and County of San Francisco March 21st (Vernal Equinox) be the designated EARTH DAY - a special day to remember Earth's tender seedlings of life and people; a day for planting trees and grass and flowers, for cleaning streams and wooded glens. That to further these purposes a Silent Hour For Peace (a time for quiet reflection or prayer) be observed on Earth Day at 19:00 G.M.T. (11:00 a.m. P.S.T.). That on EARTH DAY the EARTH FLAG, which portrays in its center our "Beautiful Blue Planet;“ be flown to encourage mutual respect for Earth and all its people.

3. History of Earth Day: Earth Day - a day to celebrate the natural wonders of our planet, "to think about Earth's tender seedlings of life" was first proposed by John McConnell in early October 1969 to a few members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and other community leaders especially interested in caring for and improving our natural environment. On November 25, 1969, the final day of the UNESCO National Conference, "Man, and His Environment," Cynthia Wayburn, one of the youth leaders on Mr. McConnell's Earth Day Committee, presented the idea and showed the Earth Flag during this presentation at the luncheon. Many expressed support for the idea.

4. Official Earth Day Flag: Inspired by the striking first photographs of the earth taken during America's historic Apollo 11 Space Mission in 1969, Earth Flag flies at the United Nations, Mir Space Station and at the North and South Poles. Flown alone or as a complement to another flag, the Earth Flag is a symbol of global and environmental awareness. There seems to be a growing commitment to restructure our way of living, marked by an emphasis on conservation. Earth Day Celebrations provide us an opportunity to reflect on our individual and global relationship with our planet.

5. Top 5 Tips:to Save the World andto Save Money • By eating fish that are caught in an environmentally responsible manner, you can help keep the marine ecosystem healthy, without compromising freshness and taste. • When you're next in the market for a car, choose the one in your class with the highest fuel efficiency rating. You'll save money each time you fill up.

6. Check your tires once a month, since properly inflating your tires improves gas mileage. According to DOE, under inflated tires waste more than two million gallons of gasoline a day. And they're also a safety hazard. • Using fluorescent lights can be a major factor in cutting greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, a new compact fluorescent bulb uses 75% less energy than a standard incandescent and lasts about 10 times as long.

7. You prevent waste and save money whenever you reduce your purchases of disposable and over packaged items or reuse more of what you already have. It's easy!

8. Celebrate Earth Day Every Day!

9. Resources: • http://www.earthsite.org/day.htm • http://www.getgreen.com/top5tips.html • http://earthday.envirolink.org/ • http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/earthday/word.html • http://www.earthsite.org/

10. Submitted by Blaire Morgan, Resident Assistant, College of Charleston