To Plant a Tree or Picket Your Neighbor for Clubbing Baby Seals, That is the Question

Its Earth Day and I couldn't happier, well not because it's Earth Day but, just because I am generally happy today.  Today we celebrate two great environmentalist-type people, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin and Julius Sterling Morton.  The former enjoyed children and cats, and lead the October Revolution and was the informal leader of the Russian Communist Party.  The latter was a Newspaper Editor and the 3rd Secretary of Agriculture of the United States, and  founded Arbor Day.  You remember Arbor Day, there was a Peanuts Special and you were encouraged to plant trees.  So that begs the question, what are the differences between Earth Day and Arbor Day?  Well they are stark and evident, Earth Day is for talkateering and activism, Arbor Day is about conversation. 

They reflect the times from which they were born, Arbor was first celebrated on the treeless plains of Nebraska in 1872, at that time Americans believed that could adapt the Earth to their needs, and progress was celebrated.  Planting trees became associated with progress, as you were beautifying the Earth.  Naive, yeah probably, but there are a lot more trees in America because if it, especially in urban areas.  Earth Day was born from the turmoil of the 1960's, it offers to raise awareness and create activism, but like many politically charged things, there is a lot of noise created but little tangible results are seen. 

Is Earth Day worse than Arbor Day?  No, since awareness and activism are important, millions of Americans have been positively affected by Earth Day over the years.  So then, is Arbor Day better than Earth Day?  No, whereas Arbor Day is a day of conservation, it doesn't necessarily draw attention to the greater environment issues we face.  This is due to the fact that Arbor Day has a very narrow scope, it's about planting trees period. 

Arbor Day vs. Earth Day, is sort of a microcosm of ideologies in America, red states enjoy Arbor Day, blue states Earth Day, at a base level.  Both days really need one another, Arbor Day is losing out to the louder and sexier Earth Day.  But Arbor Day products tangible results, more trees.  Positive tangible results are hard for Earth Day to come by, so embracing message of Arbor Day, would go a long way, to dismiss the noise without benefits stigma. 

I remember going to Marymoor Park for Earth Day 20, and getting a Douglas fir sapling in a plastic sack.  The organizers wanted all of us to go forth and plant these trees at our homes, or near our homes.  Funny thing, a lone standing Doug fir will easily topple in a wind storm, whereas a grove will stand strong.  I wonder just how many of those trees are still around and I wonder how many of those trees would still be around if we had just planted them there in that field in Marymoor Park.

Dan