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Earth Day is big news

  • by JW

What we are doing today – and what we have learned.

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Today is Earth Day:

Earth Day: The Official Site | EARTHDAY.ORG

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Here are just a few stories from today’s media:

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10 things we learned about Earth since the last Earth Day

The secret to wombat poop, how skies turn orange, and what a cold ocean blob could mean for the climate.

The marked reduction in human activity spurred by the pandemic — what some experts have dubbed the “Anthropause” — has afforded scientists and researchers opportunities to observe the natural world like never before. Coinciding with these unique observational windows has been an increase in attention on Indigenous knowledge and land stewardship as a way forward in combating ecological catastrophe.

Here are the 10 most concerning, intriguing, and — dare we say — hopeful things we learned about our planet since the last Earth Day.

Earth Day 2021: 10 things we’ve learned since the last Earth Day – Vox

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Earth Day was almost called something else entirely

The founders of Earth Day had a clear vision in mind when planning the first national observance — but what they didn’t have was a catchy name.

The origins of the annual event can be traced back to the late 1960s following a decade of increasing concern for environmental issues that threatened the health and safety of future generations. EarthDay.Org, the nonprofit organization that coordinates Earth Day’s global events, credits Rachel Carson and her 1962 best-selling book “Silent Spring” with drawing widespread attention to some of those issues, particularly the negative impact of pollution and the pesticide industry then.

Carson’s book “represented a watershed moment,” EarthDay.org writes on its official site. But it wasn’t until January 1969 — following the devastating effects of the Santa Barbara oil spill, which dumped well over 3 million gallons of crude oil into the Santa Barbara Channel — that serious action was taken.

Earth Day was almost called something else entirely | WANE 15  This link is not available to Europeans at the moment, instead try

Earth Day almost had a totally different name

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And:

Earth Day 2021: Boris Johnson leads climate calls as MPs come together to make pledges to help save the planet | thesun.co.uk

Earth Day 2021: How to take a sustainable ski holiday (that’ll actually make a difference) | telegraph.co.uk (paywall)

Save your pocket and the planet on Earth Day with nearly new shoes | thesun.co.uk

Global artists create ‘creative experiments’ to mark Earth Day 2021 | Metro News

Earth Day: Pandemic lockdown brings down air pollution by up to 70% in some London areas | eveningstandard.co.uk

Earth Day 2021: We need to talk about geo-engineering | The Engineer The Engineer