Monday Wake up call

Monday Wake Up Call: Your Motivation, Inspiration, & Direction for the Week Ahead

Happy Earth Week!

This week we celebrate the conservation of our most precious resource: Earth. I would like to pay tribute to the Earth Day Network, working with more than 50,000 partners in 196 countries to build environmental democracy.

The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, activated 20 million Americans from all walks of life and is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement, including passage of the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act.

Twenty years later, Earth Day went global, mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries and lifting environmental issues onto the world stage. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world. This year, the focus is on trees.

Why trees? Trees help combat climate change. They absorb excess and harmful CO2 from our atmosphere. In fact, in a single year, an acre of mature trees absorbs the same amount of CO2 produced by driving the average car 26,000 miles. Trees help us breathe clean air by absorbing odors and pollutant gases (nitrogen oxides, ammonia, sulfur dioxide and ozone) and filter particulates out of the air by trapping them on their leaves and bark. Trees help communities achieve long-term economic and environmental sustainability and provide food, energy and income.

What I enjoy most about trees is the trees themselves. There’s something special about having a picnic under a tree or children laughing with delight as they swing on an old tire hanging from the large oak out front. I love trees when they bloom in spring, and I love the shade they provide in summer. I love the autumn colors, and I even love the bare branches covered with snow in the winter.

It’s hard to imagine a world without trees. So do your part this week: Plant a tree, support an organization that plants trees, or just take the time to really appreciate the beauty they provide. Happy Earth Day!

Something to Think About

1. An average-size tree produces enough oxygen in one year to keep a family of four breathing.

2. 3 trees planted in the right place around buildings cut AC costs up to 50%.

3. Houses surrounded by trees sell for 18% to 25% more than houses with no trees.

4. Trees generate jobs and contribute raw materials for buildings, newspapers, books and more than 15,000 other forest products. Trees are renewable, biodegradable and recyclable.

5. By planting 20 million trees, the earth and its people will be provided with 260 million more tons of oxygen. Those same 20 million trees will remove 10 million tons of CO2.

6. Trees provide shelter and food for wildlife such as birds, squirrels and bugs. Groves of trees provide food and cover for larger mammals, such as raccoons and deer.

7. Trees make people feel good. Workers are more productive when they see trees along their commute and from their office windows.

8. Hospital patients who have a view of trees heal faster, use fewer pain medications and leave the hospital sooner than patients with a view of a brick wall… and spend 8% fewer days in bed.

9. Consumers spend more money in shopping districts with trees, pay more for products in a shopping district with trees and are willing to shop longer when there are trees.

10. Trees in the landscape relax us, lower heart rates and reduce stress.

Weekly Activity

Plant a tree in memory of or in celebration of someone. It’s easy. Just go to one of these sites and make a donation: http://shop.arborday.org/content.aspx?page=Commemorative https://www.nationalforests.org/donate/plant-trees

Words of Wisdom

“The environment is where we all meet; where all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share.” – Lady Bird Johnson

“Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.” – John Muir

“Every day is Earth Day, and I vote we start investing in a secure climate future right now.” – Jackie Speier

“One billion people in 175 countries will mark Earth Day. That puts tea parties in perspective, doesn't it?” – Greg Dworkin

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” – John Muir