As activists prepare for the 35th anniversary of Earth Day, April 22nd, Earth Day Network is reaching out to a wide range of constituents to increase awareness of issues affecting communities nationwide, particularly communities of color and inner-city neighborhoods. Earth Day Network representatives attended the historic meeting of the Baptist Conventions in Nashville on January 23rd and received commitments from more than 45 ministers to participate in Earth Day 2005 activities.
The theme of Earth Day 2005 is Protect Our Children And Our Future. Many low-income and communities of color suffer from the negative impacts of poor air quality, lack of urban green space, contaminated water, and a lack of public transportation. As a result, children in these areas are developing high rates of asthma, cancer, and other environmentally-related diseases and developmental problems.
The ministers pledged to honor Earth Day 2005 by delivering a sermon on Earth Day Sunday (April 24th) addressing environmental stewardship, organizing or participating in an Earth Day event, raise funds for an Earth Day event, local environmental or health organization, or to form a ministry at the church that addresses these issues.
?We are pleased that the ministers are joining with us in this fight,? said Kathleen Rogers. ?Churches are in the forefront of social justice activism and organizing and have the power to inspire people to demand the changes needed to stop environmental degradation in our communities.?
Earth Day Network is reaching out to representatives from all religious groups to involve them in Earth Day activities and to spread the message that peopleâ?Ts environment starts in their own community. This year environmentalists will be joined in a number of Earth Day events and activities by members of the Jewish and Muslim faiths, as well as Catholic and Protestant groups.
ABOUT EARTH DAY NETWORK
Earth Day Network was founded by the organizers of the first Earth Day in 1970 and promotes environmental citizenship and year round progressive action worldwide. Our mission is to build broad-based citizen support for sound, workable and effective environmental and sustainable development policies for all. Earth Day Network is a driving force steering environmental awareness around the world, with a global network that reaches over 12,000 organizations in 174 countries. As a result, Earth Day is celebrated by more than half a billion people each year making it the largest secular holiday in the world.