Happy 40th Anniversary of Earth Day Earth Day!  Honor Earth Day and—GET DIRTY!

Happy 40th Anniversary of Earth Day Earth Day!  Honor Earth Day and -- GET DIRTY!


Since the space shot of our planet eye-popped up on the cover of the Whole Earth Catalogue, more of us in the general public have had a new perspective on our planet.  And a growing world wide appreciation that has turned into celebrations in honor of our planet,.

 
Earth Day has grown bigger and bigger over the 40 years since it’s modest beginnings.  Today people around the world are celebrating in different very active ways.   For example, there is an “alternative climate summit” concluding in Bolivia today with calls to action. "First World People's Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth." Check the following links for specific activities where you love.


http://www.serve.gov/earthday.asp

www.earthday.org/events


Above all – or make that below all – let’s  celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day by honoring the ground beneath our feet.   Planet Earth is a wonderful place for number of reasons: we’re just the right distance from the sun, we have water and a very nice atmosphere, thank you, and above all we have – Dirt!


As far as we know of all the billions of planets in the whole universe only one has a species of beings called humans and a living breathing skin called dirt.  Mars may have smidge here and there but it pales in comparison to our planet’s glorious dirt.


Dirt is the earth’s ultimate natural resource, providing us with everything we need to survive, regulating the earth’s climate, holding and cleaning our water.

Many soil scientists are actually uncomfortable with using the word “dirt.” They feel that dirt is what you throw away…And therein lies the problem. Dirt don’t get respect.  Your Dirt! pals are going to stick with the word until we humans collectively stop treating our soil like, well, dirt. For us, stubbornly insisting on the word “dirt” is all about creating soil awareness and action. Think of us as your friendly neighborhood nudges.

But no matter what we call the living breathing matrix of all life on our terrestrial planet – we must change the way we think about this amazing substance …and change the way we treat it. As Nobel Laureate Wangaari Mathai says, “If we put a green dress on the skin of the earth the planet will be very happy.”

And happy is good.

So let’s rejoice in the 40th Earth Day, as well as National Garden Month, and the 75th anniversary of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA), by getting our hands in the dirt. Plant a tree, a flower or a vegetable in whatever patch of dirt you can get to. Find a way of honoring dirt on Earth Day – and on every day thereafter. Trillions of living organisms in the ground beneath your feet will thank you.  Brown is the new Green.

Join us and Get Dirty!

Gene “Dirt Road Warrior” Rosow

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