It’s late on Earth Day and I’m only getting around to my first post of today.

I even missed posting my Paper.li for today and also the National Celebration events.

Here’s some eye candy for today though:

I’m not going to list what kept me busy today – look to my (posted later) Pandemic Photo O’ Day as I think it’s going to Zoom related!

I’m passionate about the environment and facing the global climate crisis. There’s much I can say and share on this day.

Since it’s late in the day and I do have “school work” to get done, I’m going to share just a handful of links here.

First is this article from the Godfather of the Climate – Bill McKibben founder of 350.org a great site and an easy way to link to Earth Day Live 2020 which is streaming today, Thursday and Friday of this week.

In this article, McKibben discusses how Earth Day 2020 was expected to be filled with protests and civil disobedience – like the first one in 1970 was.

But, The Pandemic happened and the climate and this movement got an unexpected boost:

Even better, the odd circumstances of this year’s commemoration will send another message. The air outside for Earth Day 50 will be, in most places, the cleanest in living memory.

People everywhere can suddenly see vistas that had been shrouded in haze since they were born. Many people are getting, literally, their first lungfuls of truly clean air.

It’s as if they’ve been put in a time machine and sent way, way back. Or, if we’re more hopeful, a few years forward.

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-04-21/earth-day-50th-anniversary-chase-bank

Speaking of that first, Earth Day I found this article with photos of that day – April 22, 1970 (when I was two days over three months old):

I find it so striking and ironic that they are wearing masks, albeit to prove a point, like we would have needed to do today if we went out and marched.

McKibben does end his article on a hopeful note:

All that’s missing for rapid change is political will.

And maybe the clear skies of this spring, and the overall reckoning of a deathly pandemic, will help provide that will.

Who, once they’ve seen the mountains in sharp relief, wants to go back to the haze?

Who, now that they have to focus on the health of their lungs, wants to breathe that crap?

Who, now that we’ve seen how fast good governments can move, wouldn’t want to use this moment to help avert the even more dangerous crises that global warming is sending our way?

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-04-21/earth-day-50th-anniversary-chase-bank

From a religious (specifically Catholic) perspective, here’s useful list of 14 Earth Day Events You Can Join From Your Screen.

Do check it out b/c there’s a number of them tomorrow and over the next few days.

In case you’ve wondered what Greta was up to today, here’s a photo and article:

To complete the trio of climate leaders – McKibben, Greta and Al Gore and his Climate Reality Project site.

If you didn’t see the sequel to his paradigm shifting “An Inconvenient Truth” entitled “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power” here’s the trailer:

I mention this film because it begins with this famous image:

Called “The Blue Marble” and taken in 1972 by an Apollo crew on the way to the moon, it was the first photo which showed our planet in it’s entirety.

I’m this post to it’s conclusion with a beautiful video tribute to earth, created very recently, which honestly brought tears to my eyes. Do take 10 minutes to watch it as it may well be the best 10 minutes of your day!

And lastly this (clean) version of a hilarious and inspiring song released on this day last year: