Earth Day News
Earth Hour
Saturday, March 27th 2010
Join the Green Party of Canada and the world in showing solidarity for real action on arresting Climate Change. On March 27th 2010 at 8:30 pm, hundreds of millions of people around the world will turn off their lights for an hour to demand action on climate change (wwf.ca/earthhour).
Organize an Earth Hour candlelight vigil (ottawacentregreens.ca) in your community or hold a candlelight dinner party for your friends! Engage those in your community to encourage everyone to turn off their lights!
Earth Day 40th Anniversary Celebrations
Thursday, April 22nd 2010
April 22nd 2010 is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Join the Green Party of Canada in celebrating what has been accomplished by the concerted efforts of ordinary citizens and in gearing up for the work ahead in arresting Climate Change and getting the world on track to a new Green economy.
The Green Party of Canada encourages you, your community and your riding association to embark on planning on Earth Day events: hold a Climate Change teach-in and/or send us a Dear Planet Earth message.
Climate Change Teach-ins
April 22, 1970 was the world's first Earth Day. April 22, 2010 is the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day.
It started primarily in the US, although there were some Canadian actions back in 1970. Senator Gaylord Nelson and activist Dennis Hayes had the idea and made it into a global, iconic event.
The beginnings were simple. Earth Day 1970 was all about public awareness and education. Fresh out the 1960's with "sit-ins" and "be-ins," Nelson and Hayes held "teach-ins." Small and large groups of people of all ages gathered in towns and cities, in class rooms and community halls, and learned about the threats to our environment.
Encouraging news for modern day activists, the issues we debated and discussed forty years ago have largely been resolved. LIFE magazine that week had a headline proclaiming "Lake Erie is dead." No, it is alive once again. Phosphates in detergents, causing serious eutrophication in the Great Lakes, have been banned. DDT is banned. Lead in gas has been outlawed. Ozone-depleting substances have been controlled. Acid rain has been largely eliminated as a threat through government action in Canada and the US to cut sulphur dioxide emissions by 50%.
We now face a globally pervasive threat that we didn't talk about forty years ago. The climate crisis is a clear and present danger and there has never been a greater need for public awareness, education and mobilization.
JOIN US for teach-ins celebrating Earth Day's 40th Birthday! Let us know if your community wants to hold a teach-in. If you cannot find a local expert in science, green technology, policy and practical tips for individuals, let us know and we'll try to help. We have DVDs, fact sheets, and copies of "Global Warming for Dummies" that you can sell and use at your events. Send your questions to earthday@greenparty.ca.
We want these events to be open and for the idea to spread virally. If other political parties want to participate, invite them. If they want to hold their own events, encourage them.
Let's make April 22, 2010 the kind of turning point we experienced in 1970. Let's be able to tell our grandchildren that the issues we debated in 2010 have all been solved by 2050….another short 40 years from now.
Dear Planet Earth Messages
On the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and as an ode to Planet Earth send the Green Party of Canada your message for our Dear Planet Earth webpage. Let's show Planet Earth how much we care!
We are looking for letters & photos, video messages, songs, skits, you name it, we want it. Encourage your candidate and riding association to make a submission before Earth Day. Messages will be featured on our website! Encourage your neighbours, family and friends to come together and do something fun for Earth Day.
The top 3 viewed messages on our website will win a prize! Encourage all your friends and family to check out your message on our website.
How to submit your message
Send your Dear Planet Earth message to us for posting to the Earth Day webpage, coming soon! Send to dear.planet.earth@greenparty.ca.
Please put your videos on Youtube or another service and email us the link.
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