Earth Day Celebrated Monday Across United States [Video]

Earth Day 2013 is being celebrated Monday both in the United States and in the World. According to the Earth Day Network (EDN), over one billion people in 192 countries will be taking some kind of action in their communities to remind us that we have only one earth.

Because of the threat of global climate change, the EDN is focusing on depicting “The Faces of Climate Change.” Earth Day participants are asked to “take a photo of yourself being part of the solution and upload it to The Face of Climate Change Wall.”

If you think you’re too busy and stressed-out to make changes to help lower your carbon footprint, CNN’s Ben Brumfield has asked US citizens to consider Afghanistan: “In 2011, the Green Club of Afghanistan planted more than 28 million trees. That’s nearly one tree per person in one of the world’s most war-torn countries.”

OK, now that the eco-guilt trip is officially out of the way, how about taking a moment to appreciate the beauty of an April Earth Day?

The early morning Lyrid meteor shower was a bit of a washout in my area, but the migrating Indigo Buntings and other feathered friends have been putting on a wonderful show.

Get out in nature, pick up some trash, plant a tree… and don’t forget to remember what you’re doing it for.

Earth Day is worth celebrating because the Earth is beautiful and worth saving. Oh, and by the way, despite the recent discovery of other roughly Earth-sized planets, it’s still our only home.

Keep in mind that when NASA announced the discovery of three Earthlike planets outside our solar system last week, their idea of Earthlike and yours might differ considerably. Rocky Kepler-62f has 1.4 our gravity, guaranteeing that every day’s an “I feel fat” day.

And that’s the smallest one.

They are also located a pesky 1,200 light years away, presenting an insurmountable technical difficulty in visiting, much less moving, there.

Accept no substitutes for the real planet Earth on Earth Day 2013 — or any other.

[singing yellowthroat photo by Keith Carver via Flickr and Creative Commons]

[satellite and earth in space courtesy NASA]