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Brought To you by the DOC HQ Sustainability Committee
Earth Day - April 22 - Every year
". . . on April 22, 1970, Earth Day was held, one of the most
remarkable happenings in the history of democracy. . . "
-American Heritage Magazine, October 1993
The first Earth Day in 1970, was billed as “a national day of observance of environmental problems, a nationwide environmental “teach-in.” At that time, the environment was barely on the national political agenda. There was no Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), no Clean Water Act, no Superfund law. At the state level, the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) was brand new, the Shoreline Management Act was a ballot proposal and most waste management laws did not exist. An estimated 2,000 colleges and universities, 10,000 primary and secondary schools, and hundreds of communities joined the first Earth Day. It is believed that some 20 million people took part. Today, approximately 500 million people take part annually.
Earth Day is a time to celebrate gains we have made and create new visions to accelerate environmental progress. Earth Day is a time to unite around new actions. Earth Day and every day is a time to act to protect our planet.
Give The World a Gift......
Whether you're planning activities for your family, your school, or another event, there are many ways to educate and alert people about the need to preserve and renew the threatened ecological balances upon which all life on Earth depends. You can:
- Measure your carbon footprint
- Reduce, recycle, re-use
- Plant a tree
- Protect our oceans
- Do your part to reduce polution
- Help endangered animials
- Conserve water
- Conserve electricity
- Grow a garden
What Are Greenhouse Gases (GHGs)?
Greenhouse gases, both natural and manmade, trap heat within our atmosphere and are causing the earth’s surface temperature to rise. There are six gases that primarily contribute to global warming: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (NO2), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6).
What’s Wrong With Carbon Dioxide?
We’re producing too much of it. Humans, plants, animals, and other organisms naturally produce CO2, and plants absorb it as part of the process of photosynthesis. But when we talk about air pollution, we’re talking partly about carbon dioxide. Vast amounts of carbon dioxide (and other GHGs) are produced by industrial processes, burning fossil fuels, and deforestation.
What’s The Story On Methane?
Methane has a global warming potential 21 times higher than carbon dioxide. Humans are responsible for about 60% of global methane emissions due to fossil fuel production, waste management (both human and farm animals), landfills, rice cultivation, biomass burning, and more. Methane is also emitted naturally from wetlands, permafrost, freshwater and saltwater, soils, wildfires, and other sources.
Your Carbon Footprint
The Carbon Footprint is a measurement of greenhouse gases (Carbon Dioxide or CO2) we individually produce that contribute to global warming based on our current lifestyle choices during a one year period. It is a measure of the impact our activities have on the environment, and in particular climate change. Together, primary & secondary footprints are the main elements making up the total of a typical person's carbon footprint in the developed world.
Calculate your Carbon Footprint!
Contact us with your comments, questions, or feedback at:
Sustainability Coordinator
Washington State Department of Corrections
PO Box 41112
Olympia, Washington 98504-1112
(360) 725-8396
Email Us @ SustainableDOC@doc1.wa.gov
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