This April 22nd is Earth Day! Seattle has roots in the creation of this day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment. In 1969 at a conference in Seattle, US Senator Gaylord Nelson announced that in the following spring there would be a grassroots demonstration designed to draw attention to the environment and protecting the planet. The first Earth Day in 1970 marked the beginning of the environmental movement. Since then Earth Day has grown to a global event with over a billion participants in thousands of cities around the world.

This event was formed nearly 40 years ago as a way to educate and inform the world about the importance of protecting the environment. Yet we are still faced with the same problems experts identified in the 70’s. Rather than encourage and develop solutions we have largely ignored environmental issues. Leaders have recently taken notice that drought, famine, water shortages, rising sea levels, climate change and rampant pollution are all due to our neglect and disregard for the planets complex ecosystem that we are directly reliant on. Unfortunately we have procrastinated and waited until the final hour to address these issue.

Earth Day 09 marks the beginning of the Green Generation Campaign. The core principles of this campaign are to create a carbon-free future based on renewable energy that will eliminate our need of fossil fuels, individuals commitment to responsible and sustainable consumption, and the creation of a green economy that will create millions of green jobs. We know we must change the way we live our lives in order to reduce our impact and create a balance with the Earth. The Green Generation Campaign aims to organize consumers, educators, politicians, innovators and industries to make sustainable living a reality.

The Earth Day Network website is a great resource of info. You can find events in your area here.

Below is a list of some Earth Day 2009 events in Seattle. Get involved and show your support.

April 17-19

* Green Apple Festival: Get to the core of the climate-change issue by contributing to solutions via tree-planting efforts, energy efficiency retrofits, forest restoration, and more. Volunteer projects are available throughout the Seattle area Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
* Thank You concert: Watch the Blue Scholars show off their green streak during an exclusive performance Sunday evening for Green Apple volunteers.

April 18

* Earth Day at the Arboretum: Dig deep to help remove invasive species, lay down mulch, and otherwise beautify the Arboretum. High-school students from the Student Conservation Association will lead projects from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Tools, gloves, and materials will be provided, but you should bring a water bottle, sack lunch, snacks, travel mug for a hot drink, sunscreen, rain gear, long pants, layers of clothing, and boots.
* Duwamish Alive!: Bring new life to the Duwamish River during the annual Duwamish Alive! celebration. More than 1,000 volunteers are needed from 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. to help pull weeds, mulch planting areas, plant native vegetation, and pick up debris and trash in restoration areas all along the river. They’ll provide tools and gear; REI will provide snacks and drinks; you should dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes.
* Earth Day Festival: Celebrate your hard work Saturday afternoon at the 2nd Annual Earth Day Festival featuring performing artists, kiddie crafts, nature hikes, raffles, and environmental education tables from 2-5 p.m. at Cooper Elementary School and Pigeon Point Park in West Seattle.
* Climate Day for Kids: Get your kids finger-painting and climate-footprint measuring from noon-3 p.m. at the Olympic Sculpture Park. Performances include puppet shows, storytelling, and science demos.

April 22

* Carrotmob at Pike Pub: Raise a glass to sustainability during this all-day Carrotmob event in partnership with Seattle Green Drinks and the Pike Pub & Brewery on Earth Day. Use your green to do green by buying lunch, happy-hour drinks, dinner, or all of the above—25 percent of all sales will go back into into the store in the form of energy retrofits and other improvements to the pub’s efficiency, waste reduction, etc.
* Port of Seattle Earth Day Fair: Transport yourself (via mass transit, natch) to SeaTac Airport for the Port of Seattle Earth Day Fair to learn more about the environmental efforts of businesses in the area from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
* University of Washington Earth Day Festival 11am-1pm.
* Wallingford Earth Day Festival 3pm-6pm.