A day celebrating the planet and examining human interactions with the environment will be officially recognized Thursday for the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day. Paul Weihe, Associate Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies at Central College, says the focus of Earth Day has grown a great deal from its initial emphasis on colleges and universities when the concept was introduced by two congressmen in 1970.

“It’s nice how people are trying to say ‘well what kind of planet do we want to leave to our children, and what are the things that will move us forward in the future,'” said Weihe.

He adds that he plans to recognize Earth Day in two separate ways.

“I think Earth Day ought to be a celebration, and so I’m going to take my family and we’re going to just have a nice picnic,” said Weihe. “We’ll probably go down by the lake and picnic and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air and listen to the birds, but then we’re going to do is something that’s a service-oriented activity. The kids and my wife and I get into some recycling and picking up and cleaning up in that way.”

Though April 22nd is specifically set aside as Earth Day, many people and organizations will spend the entire week promoting eco-friendly behaviors.

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