JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
The celebration of Earth Day on April 22 began in the United States in 1970 and was the brain-child of the late Wisconsin U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson. Senator Nelson had long pondered about finding a way to put the environment into the political limelight. Even after his unfortunate death, Senator Nelson's message about environmental care has grown exponentially over the years. The legacy of Senator Nelson's monumental effort to raise awareness about critical environmental issues, such as the need for conservation of finite resources, growing global pollution, energy waste and the long-term importance of supporting ''green technology," is now recognized internationally.
Senator Nelson's message is simple; we can all make a greener difference by making our own corner of the world greener. Simple things, such as teaching young children to use less paper to dry their hands, or asking colleagues to turn the lights off when they leave the office at night, are great ''small starters" that encourage bigger changes. You don't need to feel that you don't have time to contribute; every changed habit that benefits the environment adds up and sets a good example to others.
On Joint Base Andrews, Earth Week 2011, April 17 through 23, is slated to be a base-wide community event to include a variety of green activities across the installation. April 20 events here include a tree planting ceremony hosted by Col. Ken Rizer, 11th Wing/Joint Base Andrews commander, and is slated to feature a speech by Ms. Erin Conaton, Secretary of the Air Force undersecretary. Later that afternoon, a screening of "Planet Earth" will take place in the Community Activity Center here.
On April 21 teams of volunteers will clean up the on-base streams and streets, and environmental and energy awareness functions will be on display at the Base Exchange, along with special environmental product displays inside the exchange. Joint Base Andrews will also host a base resident household hazardous waste turn-in at the Home and Traditions parking lot here April 22.
"The great thing about Earth Day 2011 here is that there is always something for everyone to contribute," said Jeff Platner, 11th Civil Engineer Squadron energy team member. "We all have a role to play to make things better for our base, our citizens, and ultimately our nation."