Library going green—April 16, 2010
The 40th Anniversary of Earth Day will be celebrated on Thursday, April 22, 2010 with festivities all over the world to encourage each of us to reduce, reuse and recycle so that our impact on the planet is smaller. Many local groups will have Earth Day observances during the week including the Hastings Public Library. You are all invited to “Green City +3: A Public Forum on how the Yahoo! Green City funds were spent and the impact they have had in our community.
Groups that received funds from the Green City Task Force will have posters and table displays on view from Tuesday, April 20 to Friday, April 23 and from 7:00 to 8:30 pm on Thursday, April 22, members of the Green City Task Force and recipient organizations will be on hand to answer questions and to discuss how to continue the work started by this money.
One of the reasons that Earth Day was established was to raise awareness of how individual actions and decisions can affect the whole planet. This is a case where life-long learning is critical and resources from the Hastings Public Library can help.
Tree planting has long been a way to celebrate Earth Day and its close Nebraska holiday, Arbor Day. In “The Life & Love of Trees” by Lewis Blackwell, stunning photographs, inspiring quotes and insightful text combine to tell the story of how trees shape our world and also shape people.
Around the time the first Earth Day was being celebrated, Frances Moore Lappe wrote “Diet for a Small Planet” that encouraged people to change the way we thought about hunger and food choices. Forty years later, Lappe’s daughter, Anna Lappe, has written a new book, “Diet for a Hot Planet” hoping to spark a conversation about the climate crisis and how it is affected by our food choices. Another title that has very practical applications included is “Green Mama” by Tracey Bianchi. This book is targeted at helping mothers and children “do green” together as a lifestyle and spiritual choice.
Steven Solomon makes a case that it is water and not oil that has shaped much of history in his book, “Water: the Epic Struggle for Wealth, Power and Civilization”. Solomon also raises the specter that it is those with water and those without that will shape the future of our planet.
Celebrate Earth Day by attending a community event and educating yourself at the library.
