One of my favorite adages is simply that nothing every just happens; people make it happen. A woman, Rachel Carson, ignited the modern environmental movement with her influential science writing, in particular the blockbuster The Silent Spring. Today on the 40th Earth Day, women bloggers are highlighting their affection for Mother Earth. So I want to highlight some of my favorite women-powered bloggers on Earth Day 2009.
It’s always a good idea to start out by asking a question, and that’s what Feministe has done, opening a forum for their readers to share what each is doing for Earth Day. I confess to rather enjoying Jill’s historical reflection of witches throwing birth control pills out into middle-America, but then old habits die hard, don’t they, lol?
On a slightly more serious note, read Marianne Schnall’s column on how to make Earth Day a family affair. Marianne is a co-founder of EcoMall.com, an amazing website compendium of environmental knowledge, advice, and activism. Marianne’s tips for a family Earth Day today range from taking an early morning walk with your children to help them learn to appreciate the simple beauties of their environment to sharing a family letter writing campaign on an environmental issue that affects your family directly (and what doesn’t?) She’s also the founder of Feminist.com, once again illustrating the connection between Earth Mother and Mother Earth.
Pinching pennies these days? Watch this woman’s video on Top Ten Ways to Save Green for Mama Earth:
Diane MacEachern, founder and CEO of Big Green Purse, has put together a great list of the 10 things not to do on Earth Day. Diane urges women to green the marketplace by choosing products whose use or manufacture offer the greatest environmental benefit. She also encourages companies to green their products specifically to appeal to more women consumers.
Want a green fashion show? Check out Inhabitat, a fashion website started by NYC designer Jill Fehrenbacher as a forum in which to investigate emerging trends in product, interior and architectural design. You can wear your environmental politics, and not just on a t-shirt.
We credit a man, former Sen. Gaylord Nelson, with formalizing Earth Day into a national day for action. And this year’s theme “Earth Day: the Green Generation” emphasizes the point that everyone has a stake and has to be involved in preserving and protecting our planet’s natural environment:
Earth Day Network’s “Green GenerationTM” campaign is a two-year initiative that will launch in 2009 and culminate on the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day in 2010. Similar to “The Greatest Generation” that confronted the challenge of World War II, who inspired the major societal changes that followed, the Green Generation includes ordinary people who are engaged in individual and collective activities to improve their health, to improve their schools, to participate in building a solution to urgent national and global issues, such as climate change or the world’s water crises.
For a veritable feast of women blogging on every one of those aspects of the environment today, BlogHer, with their “Baby Steps and Big Ideas” Earth Day section can’t be topped. It’s full of practical advice for individuals while encouraging collective global action for change.
BlogHer contributing editor Cynthia Samuels knits together the first Earth Day (where she met her husband) with today’s green generation by sharing her personal reflections on the social movements of the 1960′s and 70′s along with her continued commitment to environmental issues. It’s important to reflect on that continunity.
For as Agatha Achindu, a BlogHer blogger with the absolutely earthy-fabulous handle Organic Yummy Mommy, reminds us, Earth Day isn’t a one-ime shot–it’s every day.
Latest posts by Gloria Feldt (Posts)
- The Young Politica: Guns on Campus - April 26, 2013
- Women’s Campaign Fund Won’t Settle for Less Than Half - April 24, 2013
- Women’s History Month: Why Sally Jewell as Secretary of the Interior Could be a Historic Win - March 29, 2013
I believe we should do everything we possibly can to save our beautiful earth that God created. I feel that our cities should do more for citizens to dispose of things like batteries, old computer parts, and other hazardous things that harm our environment. They should locate more convenient drop offs in neighborhoods so people would be more likely to dispose of these type of products properly, instead of throwing them in the garbage or a field. Especially since we have the new mercury light bulbs which should not be thrown in the trash. Just as we recycle, we should have a easy way to dispose of harmful products. I don’t believe in or care for the phrase “Mother Earth”, you think she really exists?