What started as a simple one-day celebration and wake-up call to care for Mother Earth 38 years ago has grown and blossomed. Earth Day, born in 1970 as an environmental teach-in and eco-awareness campaign, is now Earth Week or even Earth Year, as more people heed the call for sustainable practices and green habits.
This year, Whole Foods Market kicks off the local observations Saturday, April 19 with an Earth Day Celebration featuring free samples of natural cleaning products, recycle bags and other products that foster a green lifestyle. There will also be a table where kids can plant seeds with soil and compost, and ladybugs will be given out as natural pest control for gardens. The event runs from noon to 4 p.m. at Whole Foods, 8825 Villa La Jolla Drive.
Also, beginning on the official Earth Day of April 22, Whole Foods will stop packing groceries in large plastic bags at store cash registers. Customers are encouraged to bring their own recycle shopping bags, while paper bags will still be stocked. For information, call (858) 642-6700.
The University of California, San Diego will mark Earth Week April 20 to 26 with a theme of “Choosing to Change.” A Clean Car Show will be on display April 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Warren Mall, featuring the smart car “Gidget” and an electric “Mega Truck.” Other activities include a demonstration of garbage sorting at Price Center Plaza, a farmers market on Library Walk and an eco fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Warren Mall.
Campus Sustainability Awards will be presented at 4 p.m. that afternoon at Eucalyptus Point, followed by a tree planting the next morning at Hopkins and Voight drives, and an Eco Job Fair from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Career Services Center. A “VidFest” of original short-length video projects will also take place at the Price Center Theater. The 40th anniversary celebration of John Muir College on April 24 kicks off with a “bicycle breakfast” at 7:30 a.m. at the Gilman Information Booth, followed by a “Choose to Change” lunch with guest speaker, presentations and workshops on the Muir campus. For information, visit http://earthweek.ucsd.edu.
San Diego’s jumbo-size powwow, EarthFair 2008, is set for Sunday, April 20 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. at several locales along Balboa Park’s west side. The event will feature more than 200 exhibits centered on the environment and quality of life; showcases include health and technology themes, live entertainment, a vegetarian food area and earth-friendly kids stuff.
EarthFair, mounted by about 400 volunteers, is said to be the largest free environmental event in the world. Exhibitors will showcase products made from natural and organically grown crops, with information on organic gardening, alternative energy vehicles, ecotourism, alternative and traditional health care, pet adoption, clean air and clean water products and rainforest preservation.
For more information, visit www.earthdayweb.org.