Does Earth Day Still Matter?
Bonnie Schiedel We went to the source and asked 6 environmentalists, including an activist, documentary filmmaker and youth leader. Here’s how they answered. Every April 22, on Earth Day, local news shows feature inspiring stories about community clean- ups and kids planting trees. (And, as critics rightly point out, it’s also the day that greenwashing reaches its peak, as many corporations and individuals make only token gestures.) For one day, a whole lot of people are paying attention to environmental issues, which is fantastic—but it’s also just one day out of 365. So as Earth Day heads into its fortieth year, Green Living asked a few leaders in the environmental movement to weigh in: Is there still value in Earth Day? The activist The year 2009 may be a turning point for humanity. Either we take ecology seriously and begin to change our habits of material and energy consumption, or we risk making the planet uninhabitable for our progeny. This year, we need an epiphany, a paradigm
