Your Life: Earth Day

Earth Day for the Right Brain

Beyond earnest technologies and urges to conserve.

Wednesday, April 21, 2004

By Sheila Lennon

Background: They all founded Earth Day, okay?

Earth Day - The Real Story: John McConnell is the founder of Earth Day in 1969. He celebrates it on the spring equinox.

Gaylord Nelson and Denis Hayes as the founders of Earth Day, in 1970. Earthday Network is their site.

Earth Portals: Exploring new metaphors of consciousness. The site of Jose Arguelles, described at that link as "one of the originators of the Earth Day concept and is recognized as the 'father of the Whole Earth Festival,' .... at Davis, California." That festival began in 1969 when Arguelles did an "Art Happening" on the at UC Davis campus, according to the surprisingly terse festival site.

Not surprisingly, John McConnell's writings reveal he was into St. Francis.

From the Franciscan Earth Literacy Center to the Druids, from NASA and Native Americans, come creative views of earth.

Photos from space.com:

NASA

Malaspina Glacier, Alaska. The tongue of the Malaspina Glacier, the largest glacier in Alaska, fills most of this image, taken on August 31, 2000. The Malaspina lies west of Yakutat Bay and covers 1,500 sq. MI (3,880 sq. km).

Landsat Captures Earth as Art. These are amazing. An image of Malaspina Glacier in Alaska is at left

ASTER Images of Our Earth: A paintbox version of earth, photographed in a combination of visible and near-infrared bands.

Observing Earth: Amazing Views of Earth from Space: Views from low orbit -- satellites, the International Space Station.

EarthRISE: Views of the Home Planet

Earth from Space - It's all perspective.

Earth Songs:

Our planet is a natural source of radio waves at audio frequencies. An online receiver at the Marshall Space Flight Center is playing these songs of Earth so anyone can listen.
http://science.nasa.gov/audio /inspire/inspire.m3u

A collection of environmental songs (ecology music), albums, and songbooks with lyrics that promote the love and protection of the Earth, and links to related resources.
http://www.planetaryexploration.net/ patriot/earth_songs.html

Modern Music From native America http://www.earthsongs.net/

http://www.besonic.com/BeSonic/User /0,4675,g0r0l0t0o0i334315,FF.html

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/ 3/earthsongsmusic.htm

http://www.ohwejagehka.com/songs.htm

http://science.nasa.gov/ headlines/ y2001/ast19jan_1.htm

Coolest - http://www.emediawire.com/ releases/2004/4/emw119610.htm

Worms: Grow your own garden fertilizer.
Basement worm farming is booming. Use special red worms, don't trap the nightcrawlers in your backyard.

WormWoman.com: Mary Appelhof of Kalamazoo, Mich. has written and self-published several worm books. She sells supplies here, and has a couple of wild videos. Her FAQ contains the very useful info that it will take about six months for worms to munch through enough garbage to give you garden gold.

Composting with red wriggler worms, from Canada's City Farmer. An extensive worm FAQ with good links and an important admonition: "Taking worms out of their natural environment and placing them in containers creates a human responsibility. They are living creatures with their own unique needs, so it is important to create and maintain a healthy habitat for them to do their work."

Worm Composting Instructions, Diet, and Harvesting: One page, no-nonsense, just the facts. Buy a Rubbermaid container and go.

Worms: A love story by Amy Stewart, worm book author and blogger. One of many nice gardening pieces by Stewart.

Kids': Stuff that isn't like school:

Planetpals: Check out the games and "free beez"

Kidzone at the National Wildlife Federation.

Nature links at cyberkids.com

Happy Earth Day Coloring and Activities Book from the EPA:

Squigly's Earth Day Games

Pick of the pack:

Smith Industries makes "Natural Tree Furniture" and has "Celebrate Earth Day - Every Day" quotes on its homepage. Its links & resources page is useful, hefty, personal and appropriately quirky.