Bethel Land Trust Participates in Bethel Community Earth Day Celebration

Earth Day 2017

Sadly, for some people Earth Day is simply another day, but, for many others, Earth Day has significant meaning. It is a day designated for fostering appreciation of the earth’s environment and awareness of the issues that it faces.

On Saturday, April 22, the Bethel Land Trust, among many organizations, will be participating in the Bethel Community Earth Day gathering on the Clifford. J. Hurgin Municipal Lawn, which starts at 9AM. At 2:PM, the Bethel Land Trust will move to the Maria Parloa Community Room of the Bethel Library to hold its annual meeting to celebrate its 40th Anniversary. There will be a presentation by Felicia Ortner, a Connecticut Master Wildlife Conservationist and a bear enthusiast. that will provide education and facts about bears and help dispel myths and common misunderstandings.

On April 22,1970, millions of Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. At that time, we were slurping leaded gas through massive V8 sedans. Industry belched out pollutants and poured toxic chemicals into our rivers streams and wetlands with little fear of legal consequences or bad press.

Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests and teach-ins against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values.

Earth Day 1970 gave voice to an emerging consciousness, channeling the energy of the anti-war protest and putting environmental concerns of the front page. And indeed, the American populace was heard. The passage of the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and the Endangered Species Act and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) came as a result of people’s voices being heard.

What has Earth Day accomplished?

  •        Cleaner Air
  •        Cleaner Water
  •        Environmentally friendly products
  •        Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions
  •        Improved Energy Efficiency
  •        Reduced Energy Costs.

When our water, our air and our soil are clean and healthy, so is our community. The community we leave to our grandchildren and great grandchildren will be our most important legacy.

Earth Day is now an annual event, observed worldwide with rallies, conferences, outdoor activities and service projects.

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Submitted by Bethel, CT

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