April 22 Earth Day Sparks Local Stories

The 40th Earth Day, April 22, 2010, has become the occasion of almost obligatory stories about the environment for many local newspapers and TV stations. Can these stories be more than accounts of 3rd graders learning to recycle? Or is that enough?

The answer may be "It's all good." Those 3rd graders — in 20 years — may be a voting majority (and shape their parents in the meanwhile).

But there are countless local stories to explore. What are your local activist groups? What are the big local environmental issues? What are environmental researchers studying at local universities? Where does your local drinking water come from? Are native plants thriving in your area? What land conservation units (forests, wetlands, etc.) are near you? What is your local energy economy?

There are many resources available for finding local stories — including the SEJ Web site. Here are some:

• Earth Day Action Center.
• Earth Day Network.
• EPA's Earth Day page.
• "Obama Seeks Local Action for Earth Day," Dot Earth (New York Times), April 13, 2010, by Andrew C. Revkin.
• "Earth Day's 40th Anniversary Sparks Creative Activism," USA TODAY, April 12, 2010.
• Wilderness Society: Earth Day guide for teachers and students.