I was researching the beginning of Earth Day celebrations, and the first thing that came to mind is imagining a world today where there were no EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) regulations, and factories and corporations could “willy nilly” release clouds of toxic smoke into the air and dump tons of toxic waste in our streams and rivers.
Thankfully, in 1970, Sen. Gaylord Nelson created Earth Day as a way to get national attention related to the environmental destruction taking place in the U.S. On the first Earth Day, April 22, 1970, millions of Americans across the U.S. participated in Earth Day rallies and events. Americans were concerned about the degradation of the environment and diminishing resources. The success of Nelson’s Earth Day prompted Congress in December 1970 to authorize the creation of a new federal agency to confront and deal with environment issues. Thus, the EPA was established.
In 2024, Earth Day is celebrated worldwide on April 22, with many activities spread throughout the month. Check out https://allevents.in/colorado springs/earth-day for activities in El Paso County.
One environmentally fun activity for parents and kids is the Penguin Watch project, which needs citizens to count penguins in photos from Antarctica, so researchers can better understand the creature’s lives and environment. Check it out at https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/penguintom79/penguin-watch.
And we have Arbor Day, too, which Colorado celebrates on Friday, April 26. According to the Front Range Arborists, Arbor Day in Colorado Springs is a week-long celebration filled with tree-planting events and activities to promote environmental stewardship and green living. There are plenty of ways to get involved and show support for trees in Colorado Springs. Google Colorado Springs Arbor Day events for more information. The best way to honor Arbor Day is to plant a tree.
Speaking of the environment, Pete Gawda this month has interviewed county planners to get a detailed account of how developments are processed, from start to finish. Interestingly enough, the last thing that the county looks at before the final plat approval is water sufficiency. That seems like water should be the first thing they should look at, right? Pete also wrote about the Falcon Area Water and Wastewater Authority, and its latest project — a pipeline to provide water to several subdivisions west of the Falcon area.
And speaking of development, our sales representative was walking a trail that runs parallel with Highway 24. She saw two men wearing suits and carrying clipboards, so she approached them figuring they were developers. And she was right. The two men told her they are developing 3,000 homes in the vicinity of Rex Road (coming across Meridian Road to Highway 24). It’s the west side of 24, across from Falcon storage. She asked them about water sufficiency. Their answer was “well, (the development) has been approved.” And again, shouldn’t water sufficiency be proven upfront?
So, it’s spring but for those new to Colorado, don’t think that the snow season is over. It’s been known to hang out well into June. Happy spring anyway.
See you in May!
Michelle
