"Take only photographs, leave only footprints"...

Today marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Begun in the '70s when environmental dangers were practically smacking us in the face (Ohio's Cuyahoga River catching on fire, anyone?), it is perhaps even more important today when the challenges are less apparent, and thus seemingly less urgent.

So with the invisibility of these dangers masking the importance of constant vigilance against them, I think today is an excellent opportunity for everyone to step back (even if it is for just a day) and remember exactly how important the Earth really is to us.

The Christian Science Monitor has an ode to the planet which somehow manages to be both cuddly and slightly thought-provoking. CSM editor John Yemma points out, even in this advanced age, how the Earth is vastly superior to any technology and that if it weren't for the Earth we wouldn't have the technology...

Eyjafjallajokull, the Icelandic volcano which erupted last week and has disrupted international air travel all over the world to the tune of $1.7 billion, is another example of the power of Nature over man. As British television host Laurence Llewelyn Bowen points out in a Daily Telegraph article, people are so used to being in control and being able to go anywhere at the drop of a hat. The enormous cloud of ash which grounded planes and stranded people is a real reminder that we are at Nature's mercy, so we should probably be nice to her. The Boston Globe has 35 photos of the effects of Eyjafjallajokull, which are just absolutely stunning. Particularly the first one.

NASA has come up with some eye-catching images of its own thanks to the new Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The spacecraft has sent back images of activity on the sun's surface and close-ups of solar flares among other things scientists have never been able to see before. Launched on Feb. 11, 2010, it began a five-year mission to examine the sun's magnetic field and the effects it has on Earth's atmospheric chemistry and climate.

(Photo credit: NASA/Reuters)

Every day should be Earth Day...

In 1969, then-US Senator Gaylord Nelson decided to have an environmental teach-in as a reaction to the degradation of the environment. He chose April 22, 1970, for very practical reasons: He wanted to have it on college campuses and figured it was late enough in the spring to have good weather, it was midweek so it wouldn't conflict with other events and there generally weren't exams or spring breaks scheduled. 

It has the added bonus of being the day after John Muir's - noted environmentalist and founder of the Sierra Club - birthday and is the actual birthday of a person many call the world's first environmentalist - St. Francis of Assisi. 

People from 2000 colleges and universities, around 10,000 primary and secondary schools and hundreds of communities across the country participated in the first Earth Day, and Nelson credited the momentum from that demonstration for the passing of the Clean Air Act in 1970 as well as the creation of the US Environmental Protection Agency that same year. 

The New York Times reported on Friday that just in time for Earth Day, Congress declared carbon dioxide and five other heat-trapping pollutants as dangerous to public health, which may lead to them being regulated for the first time in US history. Gee, it only took an act of Congress to confirm what most people already know. But it's a step in the right direction, one that should promote reforms in policy and, hopefully, a healthier Earth.

Indonesia and South Korea announced they are investing in alternative energy to turn seaweed into biofuel and reduce emissions, according to MSNBC.com. I'm not really a science person, but I think this is pretty cool. And anything that gets countries less dependent on oil and cleans up the environment, I'm all for. 

King 5 News out of Seattle has a story that's a follow up to a related post of mine from yesterday. It's all about the benefits and positive outcomes of volunteer vacations. And something I found on Facebook is a video follow up to a story I found awhile ago on Faith, the two-legged dog. This is a segment from Oprah and not only interviews her family members, but shows home video of Faith.

This one is a little random, but it is animal-related and kinda fun. China's official news outlet Xinhua reported on a pod of dolphins who foiled a Somali pirate attack on a Chinese ship. Little smarty-pants. : ) 

A last thought... the Fort Worth Star-Telegram did a big story today on a local high school science teacher who founded America's longest-running high school ecology studies program. He was recently forced to retire after being diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease, but his passion for ecology and the environment has inspired generations of students. 

The photo above is of Senator Gaylord Nelson (photo credit: wikipedia)