Earth Day 2004: Be the Change You Wish to See

In the midst of our fast-paced culture, the rarity, magnificence and vulnerability of our planet is often overlooked. Reno’s upcoming Earth Day celebration hopes to inspire you to care for the earth for more than one token day per year. Instead, the aim of the event is to assist you in becoming the change you wish to see, everyday.

This year’s Earth Day theme is borrowed from Gandhi. “Be the change you wish to see,” he advised. In today’s world this requires more focus and dedication than ever before. When flying planes, speeding trains and highway veins dictate the pace of our lives, remaining aware of the natural cycles that give us life can be difficult.

“If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them more than the miracles of technology. We must leave them with a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it,” said President Lyndon B Johnson on September 3, 1964, after signing the Wilderness Act. This is important for reasons beyond earning the appreciation of future people. Protecting nature now offers them a chance at a healthy existence.

Why do your perspectives and actions matter? Not many of us live in absolute isolation. Since each individual has some degree of exposure to others, being influenced and influencing others is inevitable. Imagine how our world would change if more people considered the impact their lifestyle had on future people, say seven generations from now. Creating a future that is healthy for all beings on earth begins with changing our own polluting habits.

Now that you are anxious to do your part, come on down to Earth Day, where the proverbial “grass is greener.” Well, actually, where the sagebrush is, um, more sage. Earth Day is an opportunity to learn about strategies that restore our earth, not just about keeping our environmental impact to a minimum. While at Earth Day, keep an eye out for ways you can help. Discover how to avoid contaminating ground water, as well as how to avoid putting toxic fumes into the air or chemicals into the soil. Learn how to sustain a healthy life for yourself, your family, your community and your planet.

Many of our exhibitors attend Earth Day for the personal satisfaction one receives from working for Mother Nature. “Feeling good about what you do or what you make is what life is all about,” says Craig Witt of Full Circle Compost. His composting business will be gathering the food waste generated at Earth Day in order to farm microbes. Microbes eat food waste and create an active carbon that can hold five times its weight in water. This water-bonding feature keeps the water in the soil, an especially valuable trait in our desert climate.

Interpretive Gardens, Inc., a local bioregional landscaping company, will be sharing techniques on creating herb spirals, cob ovens, straw bale walls, human sundials, landscapes that thrive in the desert and more. Dive in and connect with the soil by planting an herb or two while you soak up everything else these land stewards have to offer.

The Truckee Meadows Conscious Community and Business Network will be at Earth Day hosting mini workshops on topics such as Bio Diesel Fuel, Sustainable Agriculture, Green Burial, Sustainable Living and Voluntary Simplicity. Please swing by their booth for a workshop schedule.

“Your vote, your voice,” insists Grace Potorti from the Nevada Conservation League. She and her cohorts will be registering voters, an action that will get the ecologically conscious one step closer to being a part of the political process. If you’re not already registered, now’s your chance!

See you at Earth Day 2004, Sunday, April 25th from 9am-5pm at Idlewild Park. Until then…tread lightly!