Earth Day 2003

Whether it be something as simple as cleaning up garbage on the side of the road or something as elaborate as organizing a community water-testing event, Earth Day can spur people on to help protect the environment.

Or can it? How many people know that today is Earth Day, a day founded in 1970 as a way to bring environmental issues the forefront of the political landscape?

"I know about Earth Day, but I don't know what date it is," admitted Wasilla's George Tuttle. "It's not one of those things I really keep track of. But it's a good idea, don't get me wrong."

Tuttle is not alone in not knowing when Earth Day falls each year, on April 22 (although it is "celebrated" over the course of a week or so usually).

A majority of people echo his answer -- that protecting the environment is essential, but Earth Day isn't on their radar screens.

"Earth Day?" said Grehta Johnstone of Wasilla, when asked to name the date of Earth Day. "I have no idea when that is."

Johnstone said that each year, she participates in the community cleanup of Wasilla, and her and her family routinely recycle and do "good things for the environment."

"It shouldn't be something you do on one day, like Earth Day, but all year," Johnstone said. "Especially here in Alaska. Look at what we have.

"If we don't protect it, it'll turn into another Lower 48 city if we let it happen," Johnstone added.

Wasilla's Travis Hess said Earth Day is another example of the "government gone bad," he said.

"Yeah, the environment is important, but it isn't the government's job to make up a day to force feed us the environment issue," Hess said. "You should care about the environment because it affects you, not because some politician sitting in an office tells you it's Earth Day because it looked good for him if he voted for it."

An issue Johnstone, Tuttle and Hess agreed on is that of opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil exploration, an environmental issue that has been under constant scrutiny in Washington, D.C.

"I think you have to do your part to keep the environment pristine, but let's face it, we're addicted to oil, and Earth Day or every day isn't going to change that," Johnstone said. "If ANWR helps the oil supply and makes us less reliable on foreign oil, we should see how we can do it while doing the least amount of damage to the environment."

Hess put it more bluntly.

"Do you know what opening ANWR would do for Alaska's economy?" Hess asked. "Money runs everything."

While most Alaskans can't affect the ANWR decision-making process or do something on such a large scale for Earth Day, there are small suggestions from Christine Whitman, the national EPA administrator, that can make a difference.

"Earth Day is an opportunity for all of us to reaffirm our commitment to protecting our environment -- a commitment that we should continue to honor every day of the year. Our individual actions -- from recycling a soda can to planting a tree to cleaning up a local stream -- do indeed make a difference," Whitman said. "All of us benefit from a healthy environment and all of us have a responsibility to ensure that we have one."

Last weekend, several events took place around Anchorage, and more events are planned for this coming weekend. Locally, several school classes are planting trees and doing other environmental projects.