Planet Earth Shows Earth Day is Every Day

Planet Earth is a ground-breaking series that was more than five years in the making and features amazing never-before-seen footage of animal behavior, astonishing views of locations filmed for the very first time, and unparalleled high-definition production techniques.

Planet Earth takes the viewer on an 11-part journey narrated by Sigourney Weaver, the award-winning actress and well-known conservationist. Strap yourself into your seat and be prepared for the ride of your life as you visit out-of-the-reach places on Earth as featured in the following Episodes:

Planet Earth is a true testament to the powerful forces of nature, and doesn't need to be viewed on Earth Day in order to appreciate the interconnected lives of all existing creatures on this planet. Planet Earth can be viewed in HD on Discover Channel.

• Pole To Pole
"Pole to Pole," prepares the viewer for what is to follow by bringing a new appreciation of how life in every corner of the planet is intertwined. The most spectacular scenes from this episode highlight how the nature of seasons affects us all and causes the mass migration of animals.

• Mountains
"Mountains" takes the viewer on a tour of some of the most majestic mountain ranges in the world, including an incomparable view of the Himalayas while flying by the side of bar-headed geese as CGI time-lapse footage brings an unprecedented view of the mystifying physical narration of mountains. "Mountain" sports the most extreme of animals, including the rarely-filmed mountain lion, puma, and snow leopard.

• Deep Ocean
"Deep Ocean" is a sober memento of the vastness of one of the most unexplored areas of Earth. From life among the hot vents on the bottom of the ocean floor to surface daytime hunters and night feeders, this episode illustrates the energy connection between sharks, lantern fish, tuna, whales, and sea birds.

• Deserts
"Deserts" reminds us that while they united by their lack of rain, deserts are the most varied of the planet's ecosystems. Animals have learned to adapt in the differing harsh desert environments by obtaining water from unlikely sources, such as the wild Bactrian camels of Mongolia's Gobi Desert that eat snow and the guanacos of Chile that lick dew from cactus spines.

• Ice Worlds
"Ice Worlds" takes us on a trip to the polar ends of Earth. CGI time-lapse show the polar ice coming and going over the years while Emperor penguins settle in to breed in Antarctica. With bone-chilling temperatures and fresh water being locked away in the ice, life is painstakingly hard at the poles. This makes the fact that life even exists in this forsaken climate all the more impressive.

• Shallow Seas
"Shallow Seas" follows a humpback whale mother and her calf on their grand voyage to the most fertile feeding grounds that border the coasts. Brilliant footage of the shallow seas illustrates how immense schools of fish act like magnets for predators, and how the shallows that lie above the continental shelf are the most prolific in the ocean and harbors coral reefs and fishing grounds.

• Great Plains
"Great Plains" navigates through the Great Plains of North America, grasslands of Mongolia, and the flooding plains of Papua New Guinea. Featuring animals such as wildebeests and gazelles, "Great Plains" brings knowledge to the fact that a quarter of the world's surface is covered with grass.

• Jungles
"Jungles" features gorgeous aerial shots that introduce the world's most impressive forest vistas, and high-definition cameras facilitate unmatched footage of the species that live on the shadowy jungle floor. Penetrate a world of predator and prey, and observe powerful rivalry between the food and the feaster.

• Freshwater
"Freshwater" illustrates how precious this valuable resource is; only 3 percent of Earth's water is fresh. The powerful earth-sculpting force of fresh water in the form of lakes and flowing rivers has over time created inspiring gorges, valleys and waterfalls.

• Forests
"Forests" tells the tale of seasonal woodlands and plant endurance. Vast areas of the Earth are covered in forests, and yet still remain for the most part unexplored. Infrared and low-light cameras give an intimate view of some of the animals that have taken up residence in forests, including snub-nosed monkeys, Amur leopards and Siberian tigers.

• Caves
"Caves" explores one of Earth's only habitats not directly driven by sunlight. Life abounds in the dark descents of caves, and this episode bears witness to bizarre behavior by even more peculiar animals, such as the cave angel fish that attach themselves to walls and swiftlets that build nests from saliva. Watch as base jumpers parachute deep down into the dark confines of Mexico's 1100-foot-deep Cave of Swallows, and observe the largest pile of bat guano you could ever hope to see.

Earth day. The very name of the day designated to bringing awareness of the Earth makes me think of one of the most visually stunning shows of all time: Planet Earth. From the Arctic Tundra to the Sahara Desert, Cable HDTV's Discovery Channel brings pictures to life in breathtaking clarity.

Hugo Grosz loves internet culture. Although he only recently began writing about the internet, if it's been blogged about, dugg, tumbled or tweeted he has seen it. Relying solely on his laptop powered by satellite internet Hugo travels to the four corners of the World Wide Web, exploring digital tourism, geocaching, telecommuting and every other meme imaginable. His travels don't keep him from kicking back either. If it has to do with HD TV and is interesting, he's also probably watched it.

Earth Day Fundraisers - Educational, Profitable, and Environmental

On April 22nd this year, as on that day every year, we celebrate Earth Day and spend some time reflecting on our impact on the planet and work on integrating earth friendly practices into our daily routines.

For groups who need to raise money in the Spring, (and what group doesn't?) Earth Day provides a fantastic opportunity to promote one of the newest and most exciting areas of brochure based fundraising: Green Fundraising.

Green Fundraising is as simple as it is effective. Groups decide which of a number of all natural, organic, or earth friendly fundraising product lines they want to sell, order some free brochures, and then go sell.

What makes green fundraising such a popular choice is that the products can help people to make a difference for the planet. Take for example one of the most popular green fundraising products, reusable shopping bags. Reusable bags can help each person who buys and uses one reduce their plastic bag waste by 500 bags every year.

Another very green fundraiser that is gaining in popularity is the vegetable garden fundraiser. With this fundraiser, group members sell kits that allow customers to plant and grow their very own delicious and nutritious vegetables.

So as everyone recognizes Earth Day, use the time and the fact that the environment is more in your customers minds to offer them earth friendly products. Show them that an individual can make a difference for the environment and that your group is doing everything possible to help that movement.

Jordan Gottlieb is the author of this article.

Learn more about Green Fundraising.
Learn more about Earth Day Fundraising.

EARTH DAY 2005: An editorial!

A number of years ago [ 1970 ] two different groups of people established events to celebrate an Earth Day. One group uses the Spring equinox, the 21st of March. The other celebrates it's Earth Day events on April 22nd. So there is a bit of confusion but also a choice as to when to join with others to honor Earth Day.

Each year there are programs and events that you can attend both locally and internationally. My wife and I will sometimes travel to New York City for Earth Day street fairs. These fairs are held on closed off city blocks. They draw large crowds of people onto the street, and are really a great celebration. There is food and many vendors selling a whole range of products. Also, there are booths with a range of educational and informational materials. The environment is usually the focus of these Earth Day fairs.

As a shaman, it is my tradition to see the Earth as a sacred space. I see it as a part of The Great Spirit......the body of God. This is in contrast to many traditions who fight wars over the ' Holy Lands'. At this point we all realize that we are all on the same planet, so how can one place be Holy and others not? By modern standards this no longer makes any sense.

One way out of this situation is to come together as the human race and focus our attention on healing the whole planet. Earth Day is one such attempt. So why not plan to attend some event or start your own Earth Day tradition in your area?

Post your programs in the magazine's Calendar Of Events, or go to the Earth Day Network for an international list of groups and planned events. You can reach them at this address: http://www.earthday.net/

Jerry is a professional shaman. He publishes a free online magazine and newsletter dealing with shamanism and holism as they apply to life and business. You can post your Earth Day events in the magazine's Calendar of Events. You will find a link to the calendar on the front page of the publication. The magazine's address is: [http://www.jeremiahhuck.workzsites.com] Happy Earth Day!

Celebrating Earth Day With Kids

April 22nd will bring with it a day to remember that the Earth needs to be cared for as well as everything else in our lives. What can we do help you may ask? Where did Earth Day come from?

Earth day actually started with a number of events, which led to the official formation of Earth Day in the spring of 1970. For more detailed information about the formation of this important day, Google Earth Day or Senator Gaylord Nelson, the founder of Earth Day.

Many communities across the nation and worldwide have various activities that you can join in. Why not try to do something with your children or even as a family? What is your school doing? To find out what your community is doing on this special day go to EarthDay.Net enter your zip code or State and click search. If you do not find an activity near you just create one.

Activities you might do with children:

1. Go to the local grocery store before the 22nd and ask for some brown grocery bags. Have your family, friends, and schoolmates decorate them for Earth Day. Return them to the store so that they can be used on the 22nd to remind people to use paper or clothe bags.

2. Attend a local Earth Day Fair. Most colleges will have a fair with lots of information and free activities for the kids to do.

3. Plant a tree or spread some grass and/or wildflower seeds in areas that need some "life".

4. Pick up trash and debris along the rivers and beaches. Please be sure to use gloves. Parents, please supervise your children.

5. For really little ones, you might just take them to the park and read them a wee story on creation or mother earth. They can play in the grass, feel the sand in their feet, watch the birds sing, and if old enough pick up after themselves after a lovely picnic. (speak to your toddler about the importance of picking up after ones self and the effect it has on the environment)

6. Walk to school or work.

7. Ride your bicycle.

8. Make a bird feeder out of a toilet tissue roll by covering it with peanut butter and then adding some birdseed. Hang it on a tree with some string.

9. Take the Ecological Foot Print quiz on this site MyFootPrint.Org.

10. Home Educators, Moms, Dads, and Teachers: Make a solar oven with your children and bake a pizza or grilled cheese sandwich for lunch!

11. Adopt a rainforest animal at Kids Domain. (Search: Earth Day, Adopt, Rain Forest)

12. Go to Kids Club at EPA and request a free Planet Protectors Club Kit! I did this with my eldest when he was about 5 years old and he really enjoyed it. [EPA.GOV]

Above all, enjoy yourself. Spend time with your children and the Earth.

(c) 2009

Sara Duggan writes for various publications including independent Zines. She blogs at http://momwithahook.blogspot.com and http://snailmailpals.net

Earth Day 2009 - The Green Generation

This year's Earth Day celebrations were held Wednesday, April 22nd, at various locales on Earth and to hear the Earth Dayers speak, it was a rousing success. Most people didn't notice it happened.

This was the 39th annual Earth Day lumped together with the 2010 observances as "The Green Generation," in recognition of the advent of spring, I foolishly assumed, but that was an incorrect assumption as it turns out. I guess the package deal is meant to reduce the Earth Day carbon footprint, or something.

Oldsters may recall the original Earth Day in 1970 when its proponents were warning Earthlings to button up our overcoats. Believers assumed that by now the then-imminent New Ice Age would have spread across the continent and enveloped everything from the Statue of Liberty to the fruited plain to the Golden Gate Bridge in one huge ice cube. We all know what assumptions and assuming can lead to.

We all make mistakes, no? The Earth Day people view critical mistakes not as monumental failures but as occasions to re-group, take a temperature reading, and re-define what they're talking about since that can vary a great deal.

The Great Freeze Scam was thereafter supplanted in favor of the Global Warming Scam, merely coincidental with age-old, cyclical and natural solar activity, until the damned planet started cooling off again. Undismayed by reality, those who truly care about the Earth as opposed to the rest of us who don't give a damn, switched gears and tactics and adopted a new buzz term, "climate change." That, they figured, would cover them no matter what the Earth decided to do.

Put another way, any port in a storm, as long as an atmosphere of crisis could be maintained. Crises scared people and a sense of crisis in lieu of actual scientific substance was much more effective in instilling fear. More importantly, scared people would go along with just about anything, even absurdity.

Within the infinitesimally brief period of mere decades, the Earth Day gang had gone full circle. They initially were warning humankind that we were all gradually becoming encased in a global glacier that would be so cold that human habitation throughout the planet would be extinguished and we would all wish we were basking in the warm fires of Hell. When that scare went thud as temperatures rose, the gang flip flopped to terrifying the planet that it would be bubbling over from an unbearable, unending heat. Lady Liberty and the Golden Gate could be on the verge of melting into, respectively, New York harbor and San Francisco Bay and America's fruited plain would be like toasted oats. They finally settled on the fail-safe, mid-range buzz term of climate change which would cover their crisis-centered sorry asses no matter what.

I think the 2004 blockbuster movie, "The Day after Tomorrow" was the tipping point in the thinking of the Earth Day scaremongers. It had some great special effects but the preposterous premise that the hot horrors of global warming would, virtually overnight, lead to the frigid ferocity of global freezing tested their imaginations to such a degree that an alternative had to be found to preserve the minds of Al Gore and Company, and climate change was their savior.

Hope springs eternal with that whole crew, not hope for humanity as much as hope to accomplish the true goals of the movement which are wrapped up in U.N. schemes such as the Kyoto Protocol and re-distribution of the world's wealth, a euphemism for stealing from Americans to give unto non-Americans. There are, of course, other forces in play, too numerous to detail here but all of which have as the ultimate, long-term goal of giving America its well-deserved and long overdue comeuppance and, as candidate Obama let slip with Joe the Plumber, forcing us into "sharing the wealth."

By far the best book on the subject, devoid of gobbledygook and stuffed with straightforward facts, is, "The Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming and Environmentalism" by Christopher C. Horner. Also worth a read are a slew of other worthwhile articles on my website.

Even more insulting to intelligence than the whole United Nations plot and the pseudo-environmentalist charade that is Earth Day is this excerpt from The Earth Day Network which, by the way, anticipates a billion participants and "a billion kinds of green:"

"Earth Day Network's "Green GenerationTM" campaign is . . . Similar to "The Greatest Generation" that confronted the challenge of World War II, who inspired the major societal changes that followed, the Green Generation includes ordinary people who are engaged in individual and collective activities to improve their health, to improve their schools, to participate in building a solution to urgent national and global issues, such as climate change or the world's water crises: http://www.earthday.net/greengeneration."

That's all very inspiring, all very uplifting, and all poppycock slander to compare Earth Day radicals, the Green Generation, to World War Two's Greatest Generation. Note what they do and not just what they say: The Greens are intent on tearing down America and resurrecting it in its own distorted image as a new world order, an internationalist, socialist, greenish world. The Greatest Generation of American heroes weren't much concerned with "societal changes." They fought for and were dedicated to the survival and prosperity of the United States of America as a free and independent nation.

To our great benefit and deserving our unending gratitude, the Greats won the war and succeeded in their goals. To our great detriment and greater shame will the Greens win and succeed in theirs.

Gene Lalor

 

Grass Root Efforts Promote Earth Day

What is Earth Day?

While you have probably heard the words "Earth Day", did you know there are two observations of Earth Day? The United Nations celebrates on the equinox; hundreds of countries celebrate Earth Day annually on April 22nd. Both events were birthed in 1969, with grassroots efforts, a focus on environmental awareness, and celebration of Earth.

Events to Leading to Earth Day

Prior to 1970, conservatism was an idea held by a minority of people. The notion that natural resources would become devastated to the point of extinction did not enter our collective thought. Pollution, from our buildings, cars, and behavior, was a normal industry by-product. The idea of being the world's steward was lumped in a mindset of 'a hippie thing' and not understood by mainstream America. Two previous events tilted our environmental awareness: a book and a picture.

In 1962, marine biologist Rachel Carson published Silent Spring. The book talked about the commonly used, toxic pesticides used in agriculture and daily life. The title referred to the consequences of the devastating pesticides: a world without birds. Surprisingly, Silent Spring became a hit. Americans cared, and they wanted the facts.

In 1968, the world saw the entire Earth for the first time. Apollo astronauts photographed the planet on their flight home from the moon. The Earth looked beautiful with its swirls of blues and whites. The photo provided a startling awareness: people saw Earth as vulnerable and needing human care.

Earth Day is Born

In 1969, John McConnell promoted Earth Day as a global celebration of Earth's gifts. The equinox seemed fitting time, as it was the mid-point of spring and autumn across the hemispheres. A peace activist, McConnell first presented his Earth Day idea to an audience at the UNESCO Conference on the Environment. He wanted Earth Day to be a global holiday, where the world celebrates Earth's wonders and gifts.

On March 21, 1970, cities across the globe celebrated Earth Day. McConnell created an Earth Day proclamation that called upon people to take action against crises of the world, such as famine, war, and poverty. The proclamation also stated that participants would celebrate an international Earth Day to create a single community and embrace Earth's gifts. The proclamation was endorsed by well-known people and leaders around the world: astronaut Buzz Aldrin, anthropologist Margaret Mead, inventor-scientist Buckminister Fuller, Japanese environmental scientist, Y. Fukushima, American senators, U.N. President S.O. Adebo, and UN Secretary-General Thant.

In April of 1970, the world celebrated another Earth Day event. The April 22nd event also began as a way to spread awareness of environmental issues. American Senator and conservationist, Gaylord Nelson, had actively toured the U.S. in the mid 1960's with an environmental awareness agenda. Wanting the U.S. government to take an active role in environmental concerns, Nelson presented the idea for a national conservationist tour to President Kennedy, who supported the idea. While President Kennedy's tour did not turn environmental issues into mainstream conversations, it was a beginning in changing America's role in environmental issues. Nelson was inspired by college campuses' widespread Vietnam protests, or teach-ins. He thought a nationwide conservationist teach-in would get more Americans involved in environmental issues.

Nelson presented his Earth Day idea to other government officials and news organizations. He promoted Earth Day to senators, governors, mayors, and college campuses' newspaper editors. In November 1969, he formally announced a nationwide, environmental teach-in, called Earth Day, would be held in the spring of 1970. As the event became headline news, the public reacted enthusiastically. Nelson first handled Earth Day public relations from his senate office, but with the public's overwhelming interest, the office moved into its own organization. Founder of Common Cause John Gardner helped with a temporary office, and college students helped field the office. Nelson appointed Dennis Hayes as coordinator of activities.

Approximately 20 million people celebrated the first Earth Day. In America, participation was high in schools, which ten thousand grade schools and high schools, two thousand colleges participating. Amazing numbers, considering the event started as a grassroots movement.

Government Actions

The strength of the Earth Day movement was clear to legislatures. Following Earth Day's success, the U.S. government passed laws that targeted cleaner living. In 1970, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was established. The Clean Air Act followed with a focus on reducing air pollution, with the Clean Water Act doing likewise for water clean-up in 1972. The U.S. also passed the Endangered Species Act to protect animals from extinction.

Mainstream Americans talked about recycling and conservation. In the 1980's, many people recycled within their neighborhood recycling programs. People's awareness of their ecological responsibility became part of their lives and actions. Children learned the importance of taking care of their environment; they were taught to care for the earth and its animals. The iconic Smokey Bear (originated in the mid 1940's) featured poster slogans, like "If not you, who?" and "Only you can prevent forest fires. We can't." Americans seemed to step-up to their roles as Earth trustees.

In the 1990's, recycling programs reduced overall waste by twenty percent. With people and government taking responsibility, companies followed suit. Manufacturers looked at ways to reduce toxic by-products and appear environmentally responsible to their customers. Their marketing campaigns highlighted eco-friendly actions, like reducing environmental waste.

Resurgence

Even with progressive responsibility, people did not celebrate Earth Day as they had in the beginning year. Celebrations were still held, but they weren't as widely attended or announced. In 1990, the original Earth Day coordinator, Dennis Hayes, organized a worldwide Earth Day. For the thirtieth anniversary of Earth Day, Hayes planned for a global celebration, with participation from countries around the world. The event was observed by 200,000 people across the globe. The movement continued with recognition that environmental issues impacted the world and spurred the international community to work as a unit and combat its shared problems. In 1992, leaders at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) recognized their joint responsibility and planned for future projects on sustainable living.

Earth Day Birthday

In 2009, visionary Simon Ford led a grassroots effort on the internet. This global community focused on a renewed urgency about environmental issues. Their first major campaign focused on worldwide environmental crises, the responsibility of mankind to solve them, and a project to unite participants across the world. The event, Earth Day Birthday, formed, as a global event to celebrate Mother Nature's gifts.

Successful Earth Day events in the past came from grassroots efforts in spreading environmental awareness. Earth Day Birthday joins online social networks with real world actions. Earth Day event organizers and participants find each other on the web. Supporters are spreading the word on environmental issues and taking action in their own communities. Earth Day Birthday provides the 20th century, grassroots effort in reaching eco-friendly people and making an impact on the planet.

For more information about Earth Day Birthday, this site provides Earth Day Birthday campaign details:
www.eventslisted.com/eventlaunchstrategies/category/launch-strategies/earth-day-birthday

Jennifer Akers is a freelance writer, book reviewer, and editor. She writes about family, education, business, and social marketing. Her eco-friendly passions started with an interest in making a difference in the planet and joining Earth day Birthday. To find out more about her freelance writing life, please visit: http://www.Squidoo.com/JenniferAkers

Earth Day - A Brief History And Plan

Earth Day, one of the less celebrated holidays, which is quite a shame as it's also one of the more important ones. You might be wondering where Earth Day came from, as it certainly doesn't have nearly as much information abounding around about it as other more popular holidays.

John McConnell first came up with Earth Day, a global holiday in 1969 at a environmental conference. This is the same year that he designed the Earth flag. Traditionally, Earth Day, which was created to celebrate the Earth and is an environmentally and peace oriented holiday, held on the spring equinox. The U.N. handles this event which is started by ringing the Japanese peace bell which they donated. There are actually two Earth Days, both of which are supervised by the U.N. The other one is the April 22 Earth Day this is the Earth Day celebrated in the U.S. and it was started in 1970 as a method to teach environmental friendliness to the citizens of the United States. However, it is now celebrated in over 170 countries worldwide. Earth Day is the single largest non religious based holiday in the world.

When celebrating Earth Day you should go with a plant theme, for example trees, flowers and such. Anything nature related is good. Especially wall scrolls depicting outdoor scenes. However, there is one important fact to consider, this is an eco-friendly holiday, so if you must hold a party and use paper plates, or plastic cups, and utensils, make sure to recycle them afterwards. It wouldn't hurt to obtain recycled or long term usage materials.

A good idea for planning an Earth Day celebration would be to visit a local park and have a picnic or short of that, anywhere out in the open, that is preferably not in the city. If you live near a conservatory or any other similar place it would also make for a great place to visit.

Mrs. Party... Gail Leino takes a common sense approach to planning and organizing events, celebrations and holiday parties with unique ideas for Earth Day party supplies and fun free educational party games She explains proper etiquette and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Shop has lots of party ideas with hundreds of free holiday printable games and free birthday party activities. Over 100 adorable Party Themes to fit your birthday celebration, holiday event, or "just because" parties is at the Party Theme Shop. Party themes include cartoon characters, sports, movie, TV shows, luau, western, holidays, and unique crazy fun theme ideas.