Working World

When we celebrate Earth Day on April 22, remember that every day is Earth Day. Statistics from the University of North Dakota Symposium on Sustainability remind us how much our planet changes every 24 hours:

– 40,000 acres of land will convert to desert;

– 200 million tons of topsoil will erode;

– 50,000 acres of forest will be eliminated;

– and 97 billion emails will be sent, 40 billion of them spam.

And don’t forget the people changes. In that same 24 hours: 800 million people will go to bed hungry and wake up too weak to lead productive lives, and 18,000 children will die of hunger, chronic malnutrition and related diseases.

From PlanetPal, and closer to the office, did you know computers are an environmental threat? Each desktop monitor contains four to five pounds of lead. We throw away billions of batteries every year, providing 88 percent of the mercury and 54 percent of the cadmium in our landfills.

Even tiny steps help. Recycled paper uses 64 percent less energy than making paper from virgin wood pulp. One recycled glass will save enough energy to light a conventional bulb for four hours. A single bus holds the same number of people as 40 cars. Don’t just celebrate once a year. Do your part to help every day.   

This year marks the beginning of the Green Generation Campaign, a two-year initiative that culminates on the 40th anniversary of Earth Day in 2010, asking Earthlings to engage in seeking solutions to national and global issues. Go to www.earthday.net for more information.