Yesterday was Earth Day, and we invited everyone to send us photos and videos of how they were celebrating the 45th annual event—or pitching in to improve our habitat. We heard about an interesting range of activities but one small boy may have epitomized the spirit and hands-on nature of the day best. Take a look at the 36-second video below. In it, “Khalid” is asked what he is doing, poking a stick at a plastic bag along the edge of a lake in Rochester, N.Y. While staying focused on his task, he says, “I’m saving Earth!” Of course many institutions commemorated Earth Day with events. One of them, below, was Lyndon State College in Vermont’s so-called Northeast Kingdom (the far upper-right corner of the state). Half a world away the Faculty of Disaster Management at Patuakhali Science and Technology University in Bangladesh, did the same. Cleanup seemed to be the predominant theme in many locations, with some organization using last weekend for larger projects. The Nature Conservancy, for example, hosted volunteers who pulled litter from the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge just east of New York City. The area is an important migration stop for birds. It’s also a crucial, natural barrier that can absorb storm surges coming from the Atlantic Ocean; indeed, the bay helped protect the southeastern flank of the city from Hurricane Sandy.  For more on climate, ecology and energy, see several articles Scientific American posted during Earth Day yesterday. They include a set of four graphics that depict the state of Earth’s changing climate, an interesting list of environmental scientists who are engaged in intriguing research, and the premier of a documentary hosted by our own David Biello that considers whether the U.S. could run entirely on electricity. Additional:

How Will You Celebrate Earth Day? Patuakhali Science and Technology University State of Earth in Four Climate Trends Earth Day 2015 Can the U.S. Go All-Electric?

Of course many institutions commemorated Earth Day with events. One of them, below, was Lyndon State College in Vermont’s so-called Northeast Kingdom (the far upper-right corner of the state).

Half a world away the Faculty of Disaster Management at Patuakhali Science and Technology University in Bangladesh, did the same.

Cleanup seemed to be the predominant theme in many locations, with some organization using last weekend for larger projects. The Nature Conservancy, for example, hosted volunteers who pulled litter from the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge just east of New York City. The area is an important migration stop for birds. It’s also a crucial, natural barrier that can absorb storm surges coming from the Atlantic Ocean; indeed, the bay helped protect the southeastern flank of the city from Hurricane Sandy. 

For more on climate, ecology and energy, see several articles Scientific American posted during Earth Day yesterday. They include a set of four graphics that depict the state of Earth’s changing climate, an interesting list of environmental scientists who are engaged in intriguing research, and the premier of a documentary hosted by our own David Biello that considers whether the U.S. could run entirely on electricity.

Additional:

  • How Will You Celebrate Earth Day?
  • Patuakhali Science and Technology University
  • State of Earth in Four Climate Trends
  • Earth Day 2015
  • Can the U.S. Go All-Electric?