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It's pretty amazing that we've been celebrating Earth Day for 40 years now. Though the specific campaigns have grown and changed over time, the message has remained: Let's celebrate the planet. Think global, act local. Make Earth Day every day. Together, we can all make a difference.
That message has produced some eye-opening results over time. As we turn the corner on the second decade of the 21st century, we've got a lot to look back on, but even more to look forward to. That's the idea behind our Earth Day feature for this year: Let's look forward to another 40 years of great accomplishments.
Now's the time to re-evaluate what "green" means or whether it's accurate. The holiday's message of sustainability touches almost every aspect of life and every interest group, including our economy, energy, health, environment and happiness.
With that in mind, Planet Green is focusing on Visions, those projects that are actively working to create a better world, Visionaries, to spotlight those who are leading the charge, and Volunteers, so you can take those ideas and inspirations and turn them into actions. It's about celebrating the planet, embracing a better way to do things, and putting those ideas to work for you.
From high efficiency stoves in Africa developed by college students in Colorado to a microlending program for school children in India, there are inspiring projects that showcase the powerful solutions at work today, and can inspire us all to live well, but there's plenty going on right in our own backyards, too. Los Angeles has improved the city streetlights to make them safer and more efficient; Portland is leading the way in funding energy efficiency; Chicago is becoming one of the most sustainable urban areas in the country. See how projects near and far are creating big change on a big scale on the Visions Map.
Moving from projects to people, we've gathered a diverse collection of ideas from leading thinkers in a wide array of arenas. From Jeffrey Swartz, the CEO of Timberland, to author and model Summer Rayne Oakes, to Jane Bryant Quinn, the nationally-known personal finance guru, these are the people who have combined their extraordinary vision with meaningful, actionable work across multiple industries, fields, and disciplines. They're the visionaries making change happen every day -- including Earth Day -- and they have some big ideas for the next big steps we'll be taking as a green society. You'll be inspired by where they see the world heading in the next 40 years and beyond.
Lastly, and certainly not least, we want you to be able to put these projects and visions to work for you. Volunteering can take on just about any form, whether it's learning from super-activist Bill McKibben, or finding a non-profit to assist. Volunteerism, whether it's in your community or on a larger scale, has been a huge part of Earth Day for each of the past 40 years, and something we're sure will help continue to drive positive environmental changes over the next 40 years of Earth Day and beyond.
Happy Earth Day!
