Earth Day Turns 40

Perhaps, an announcer at 98.7 Simon, a free-form radio station in Greensboro, NC, said it best today: "We can all wear Birkenstocks to work because it's Earth Day."

Though that was not the case with me! Like most Americans, I must profess that there are some environmental things I am better at than others. I do recycle virtually every plastic bottle I can, but I still take 18-minute showers twice a day.

But, I think all in all the environmental movement has made progress since the first Earth Day in 1970. Earth Day events are scheduled this week in large cities like Los Angeles, Washington, DC and Salt Lake City, as well as smaller places like Mason City, Iowa, where Earth Day Northern Iowa is planning a major celanup initiative all day on Saturday.