Earth Day, founded in 1970 by former U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-Wis.), was conceived as a day to unite concern about deteriorating natural systems and to inspire action. More than 20 million people throughout the nation participated in the first Earth Day educational programs.
Today, communities nationwide continue to recognize this day as an opportunity to learn more about their local environment and to take steps to protect and restore it. This includes organizing local “clean-ups,” and kick off various environmental protection efforts.
There are a variety of ways that counties may choose to celebrate Earth Day. Some of these are listed below:
1) Ask your local utility company to perform energy audits of county offices and schools to determine opportunities for saving energy and money.
2) Replace conventional light bulbs with compact fluorescent or other energy-saving light bulbs.
3) Stencil the storm drains (e.g., “this sewer drains into the Wabash River”) to educate residents about watershed protection and discourage disposal of motor oil and other materials in sewers.
4) Offer free inspections of septic systems to check for failures and needed maintenance.
5) Reduce the amount of pesticides and herbicides used on county property; encourage homeowners to use fewer lawn chemicals and practice “grass-cycling” (i.e., leaving cut grass on the lawn). Grass clippings contain valuable nutrients and organic matter than can help enhance lawn health and vigor.
6) Design, with the help of facility engineers, a plan to convert and retrofit refrigerators and other equipment that use chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), using alternative refingents. CFCs are linked to the depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer and, as of January 1996, are no longer being produced in this country.
7) Promote radon awareness and encourage testing of homes, public buildings/schools for radon.
8) Encourage residents with combustion appliances/furnaces to acquire carbon monoxide detectors.
9) Organize a local beach or stream cleanup.
10) Organize a breakfast or lunch meeting with local business representatives to discuss methods for saving money while increasing compliance with environmental regulations through front-end changes in production and operation. Ask a local business with successful experience in this area to address the group. Ask local businesses about their specific “pollution prevention” needs.
11) Meet with principals of county schools to discuss implementation of school recycling and/or composting programs.
12) Organize a “Clean Your Files Day,” to encourage office employees to clean out files and recycle unwanted paper.
13) Encourage a car-free commuting day on April 22. Motor vehicles release more than 50 percent of the hazardous pollutants and up to 90 percent of the carbon monoxide found in urban air.
14) Hold a tree-planting ceremony at a local elementary school.
For more information on radon/indoor air, pollution prevention, coastal watershed protection, sourcewater/groundwater protection, recycling, and sustainable development activities, please contact NACo’s Community Services Division at 202/942-4259.