April 23, 2007

Earth Day Special

People everywhere pitched in to clean up, care for and protect our planet on Sunday, April 22

By Andrea Delbanco

This weekend was a wonderful time to celebrate our precious planet. All across the globe, people paused to observe Earth Day. In the United States, President George W. Bush went for a bike ride before making a speech about energy in West Sacramento, California. Rhode Islanders took to the streets, fields and parks to clean up their small state, where more than 75 clean-up events are scheduled throughout April.

Bob Riha, Jr.—Wal-Mart/AP Wal-Mart employees clean up the beach in Malibu, California

Here are two more examples of ways in which the nation marked Earth Day.

MTV Goes Green

California's governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a ground-breaking global warming law last year, putting California at the front of nation's efforts to combat climate change. On Earth Day, the former action movie star took action again to help save the Earth. He made a special appearance on MTV that aired on Earth Day.

The show featured an 800-horsepower car that runs on renewable biodiesel fuel. Biodiesel fuel can be made from recycled products like vegetable oil. Mechanics installed the engine into a 1965 Chevy Impala. Even with the powerful engine, the Impala emits only half of the greenhouse gases than that of a regular gas-powered car.

A Tree Grows In New York

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg made an Earth Day pledge to plant one million new trees by 2017. The trees will help reduce air pollution and cool temperatures throughout New York City.

Bloomberg's goal is to reduce New York City's carbon emissions by 30 percent over the next 20 years. The tree program is just one of more than one hundred environmental proposals that he outlined on Earth Day.

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