earth day

**4/27: I have added to this post on the bottom**

I remember driving in a sweaty car with no air-conditioning down to Central Park in New York City.  I was nervous, because even though I am a New Yorker, I had never driven in the city myself.  It was my sweaty car, and it was 1990.  The car was packed.  The destination was the 20th Earth Day Celebrations that were being held throughout the city.  The goal was to make it to Central Park.  We weren't activists, we just wanted to see the bands.

Sad.  I know. 

But I was 20 years old, going to spend the weekend in a sweet little apartment in Manhatten with my sister and a few friends.  (and one jerky guy who happened to join us)  I won't mention any names.  The apartment belonged to my grandparents, who used to weekend in the city.  While the city people were all flocking upstate on the weekends, my grandparents were taking the train from upstate to NYC.  Perfect tiny little place with a bed that pulled out of the wall.  A Murphy bed.  Cool.  The kitchen was smaller than my bathroom, the bathroom was smaller than my closet, but it worked.  It was perfect, and Grammy and Grampy gave us the keys to it for the weekend!

We all had our tye-died shirts, and denim cut off shorts, Birkenstock-ish sandals and long streaky hair.  We were just flying by the seat of our pants, following the crowd, with no real idea how to even get ourselves to Central Park.  To the music.

I remember drinking a little too much that day.  The air was charged with hundreds of thousands of people clustered together - mostly peaceful.  There were definitely illegal substances floating around (it wasn't me Mom, I swear!).  We were psyched to see the B-52's, Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians, Peter Gabriel - for free!  It was so crowded and so hot.  I don't remember how we ended up with drinks, because I'm pretty sure we were all underage.  I actually don't remember how we made it back to the apartment, and how we "lost" the jerky guy.  Some how, he made his way back to us before the weekend wrapped up and we headed home.  These were the days before cell phones, so don't ask me how.  All I remember is that he was pissed.  And he sure didn't hide that fact.

The ride home was a little less fun because the excitement of the get-away was over, and of course the jerky guy was mad that we ditched him.  We all kinda thought he deserved it, if I remember correctly.  That was probably the last time I saw that guy for years.  Now he lives in the city, somehow he has morphed himself into a successful "city person." We've run into each other here and there over the years, because we always sort of traveled in the same circles, coming from the same town. 

I still think he's a jerk.

That is my earliest memory of doing anything for Earth Day.  But after that impromptu weekend excursion, I definitely remember caring a little bit more about this world we all share - our environment, how we can change things and how we can actually help.  Something was sparked for me, and I made a little bit more of an effort to do some things differently.  I do think in some ways, one person really can make a difference.

It was 40 years ago today since the first celebration in April, the year I was born.  It all started with a handfull of budding ecologists who were tired of the pollution, smog, unsafe drinking water and animals faced with extinction due to carelessness and pollutants.  There was an estimation that one in 10 American's actively participated in the first Earth Day in 1970, which is incredible if it's true.  People really banded together and made stuff happen.  The Environmental Protection Agency was founded and Congress passed several landmark laws over the next few years, including the Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Oh, I know there are still a multitude of people who are involved, who care and tirelessly struggle to keep the momentum that began forty years ago going, but it just doesn't seem important enough to the average person anymore.  I think I read a news report somewhere that said American's are less concerned now than ever before. 

Why??

  

It seems to me that we are really on the cusp of some serious turning points with energy efficiency, renewable energy and green living.

 

Let's all just care again! 

"Be the changes that you wish to see in the world!"

Ghandi

**So I was just chatting with my sister Jenney and her (then boyfriend) husband about the Earth Day get-away, and they reminded me of a few things.  One thing in particular, that Jenney stomped off alone in Harlem at 4 am because I called her the B word.   (in my defense, I believe I said "you are acting like a B," not, "You are a B."  Also, she was definitely tipsy.)  Her now husband was so busy clubbing, he didn't even bother helping me try to find her.  That was scary.  Jenney also remembers very little about the weekend (first Long Island Ice Tea's we ever experienced, I imagine).  John distinctly remembers hanging out of a tree in Central Park.  Other than those few combined memories, our minds all seem to draw a blank. Hmmm...