The Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center began celebrating Earth Day 31 years ago, and this year is no different, as the Center demonstrated its continued commitment to protecting our planet and conserving our natural resources. Earth Day is an annual event established by Congress in 1970 to recognize on April 22 the importance of environmental protection and conservation of resources. Since then, Earth Day has been recognized worldwide in nearly every country.
Although the weather threatened our festivities early Wednesday morning, it was a beautiful day in Oklahoma – just what you would picture for an ideal Earth Day celebration. There were displays providing conservation information for natural resources, like the Oklahoma County Master Gardeners and the True Sky Credit Union providing flower seeds for beauty and pollinator support. Participants provided information on energy conservation, such as energy-efficient windows (thermal windows), insulation (USA insulation), and solar lighting (SolaSolutions). OG&E also had a booth promoting their energy efficiency consultant CLEAResult, which provided information on conserving electric energy at work and home. Delicious food was provided by Pahs on a Roll and Blue Sky’s BBQ food trailer.
Let’s not forget the trees! Over 700 trees were distributed to attendees to take home and plant in their yards. Trees – the marvel of creation that helps our planet by capturing carbon dioxide and providing life-supporting oxygen to our atmosphere. Trees – that help prevent soil erosion and can provide energy-conserving shade in the summertime for our homes. Trees – that provide habitat for birds and other animals and can provide a renewable energy source to warm our houses and prepare our food. Trees – that make our yards and our planet more beautiful.
So, what are some things that each of us can do to support the conservation of our resources? Here are a few suggestions:
We can all impact the environment by making environmentally friendly decisions on a day-to-day basis. Employees can continue the spirit of sustainable practices by turning off their computers and lights when leaving work, participating in the Aeronautical Center Recycling Program, and reporting potential water leaks or energy waste to the AMP trouble desk at ext. 4-3687. With everyone’s help, we can make a difference by protecting our natural resources and caring for our planet.