Earth Day celebrated with parade
Lawrence celebrated Earth Day with a parade down Mass. Street and festivities in South Park. Enlarge video
A sunny spring day provided the perfect backdrop for the city's Earth Day celebration on Saturday.
A parade down Massachusetts Street kicked off the festivities. KU Environs, a student organization that sponsored the parade, led businesses, families and dogs to South Park where a record number of informational booths - 63 total - participated in the event.
"We've had a wonderful turnout," said Cassandra Ford, waste reduction and recycling specialist for the city, who helped organize the event. "The weather's great so that always helps."
Ford estimated the crowd to be between 800 and 1,000.
The weather wasn't the only thing Ford thanked for the attendance.
"In the past couple of years, you've seen a growing increase in the number of people who are environmentally aware and environmentally conscious and people who want to learn how to be both of those things," she said.
Ford said if people came away from the celebration with a single insight into environmental stewardship, that could help make the world a better place.
"If you can come out to an event like this and learn one small thing that you can do on a weekly basis, a monthly basis or a daily basis, if you do that, it becomes part of your life, part of your routine, and if you do that, it will lead to greater environmental consciousness," she said.
Mark Hennessy, of Lawrence, who was soaking up the sun in the park, said he learned how he could use a rain barrel at his home to conserve water, thanks to the April Showers to Water Towers Douglas County Water Festival, part of the city celebration in the park.
"As a community and as a nation, we need to evaluate a lot of our ideas and practices, especially with water," he said.
Comments
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BigPrune (anonymous) says…
I'd like to thank the Earth Day participant who drove the old school bus with the air horn taken from a train who drove up and down Massachusetts Street. You totally terrorized my young children and made them cry. Everytime they saw a bus they covered their ears. Funny you only had 4 passengers. I'd also like to thank the Lawrence Police Department for not giving that guy a ticket for violating the noise ordinance and blasting his horn while operating a motor vehicle in a non-emergency situation.
BigPrune (anonymous) says…
Freak
ibroke (anonymous) says…
was the bus giving off co2 gases poluting the ozone?
overplayedhistory (anonymous) says…
There were vehicles in an earth day parade? I figured it would be all bikes and people walking. Not one gallon of crude should be used during an earth day parade. I will give exceptions to the oil in whatever plastics were present, on bodies, bikes and reusable environmental friendly cups.
Fugu (anonymous) says…
Overplayedhistory,All vehicles in the parade were either electric or ran off biodiesel. But, yes, it was mostly walkers and bikers. It's a parade, be a bit practical.If the best thing we could do for the earth is die, maybe the parade should have been a funeral procession instead?
dorothyhr (Dorothy Hoyt-Reed) says…
I am really sorry so many of you have so much hatred. What a sad life, that you look forward to disparaging a wonderful celebration on such a beautiful day in such a great park. This will be my last comment as it looks like this day is going to be just as beautiful. This old hippy has to go plant some onions and lettuce. Bye.
themiddlechild (mary smith) says…
Great event and lots of fun. I took my parents to their first Earth Day event in 25 years and we celebrated my father's B-Day with the tofu burger that one of the booths offered.
KsTwister (anonymous) says…
I wish Lawrence would get with it like Rock Port,Mo. Believe the city would be able to fix much with an extra $5 million a year,even if they started on a small scale. No hippie, just someone with a little more smarts. ...then the school kids who won't do anything for themselves but try to get the high score in some video game.
BigPrune (anonymous) says…
The costumes are part of the indoctrinization process. "Get 'em while they're young," Stalin and Hitler always used to say.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
"The costumes are part of the indoctrinization process. "Were there Boy Scouts or cheerleaders in the parade? I didn't see any.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
ROTC honor guard, maybe?
BigPrune (anonymous) says…
You cannot seriously compare the Boy Scouts, cheerleaders, and ROTC with young Nazis or young Communists. However, you can seriously compare costumed Earth Day youth with Hitler Youth and young Stalinists. :)
terrapin2 (anonymous) says…
In section 14-415 of the Lawrence sound ordinance (which lists exemptions like emergency vehicles, construction noise etc...); #6 states, "Noise resulting from activities of temporary duration planned by schools/universities, government or community groups" is exempt from the ordinance. Quit your complaining. Yes there were vehicles in the parade, but there were also more walkers and bicycles than in any other parade, and some of the vehicles were using alternative fuel. As for the costumes, it was a parade. Wow, costumes in a parade is just unheard of I guess. And to b3, who obviously has never spoken to a hippie before (funny, I thought hippies were from the 60's and 70's); you are the most ignorant poster I have ever seen so who are you to call anyone stupid? You also do not need to be your version of a so called hippie to be concerned with the future of our environment. Please tell me, in your infinite wisdom, how is it stupid to want to conserve the planet for future generations? If any of you had gone to the event it was very enjoyable and informative and maybe you would have learned something.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
"However, you can seriously compare costumed Earth Day youth with Hitler Youth and young Stalinists. :)"Well, clearly you can. But that says much about, and nothing about the "Earth Day youth."
terrapin2 (anonymous) says…
Cool-Earth Day is Tuesday. The celebration/parade was just held on Saturday so kids/families/working people could go.
idarastar (anonymous) says…
The celebration was fun! The Meat-Out was even better! I've never had BBQ Tofu before, but it was so good! The weather was perfect yesterday.
Made_in_China (Paul R. Getto) says…
Hey, it's a disposable planet, right? What, me worry?In a few billion years when the sun expands we'll have to move anyway. Party on!
inatux (anonymous) says…
I went to the parade and viewed the exhibits at South Park.Not to sound like Mr. Negative, but there sure was an awful lot of printed materials handed out in order to help promote energy conservation and, ironically, waste reduction.
DaREEKKU (anonymous) says…
I think it's rather hilarious that most people drove their cars or drove their cars with their bikes attached down to the earth day parade. "I want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem...thaaaaaaaaanks..."
terrapin2 (anonymous) says…
I took the free T to the parade as did a lot of people. With all those people downtown, my friend said they had no problem parking, which means not very many people drove to the parade. No, we are not all perfect, but it is about informing people and trying to do better.
Agnostick (anonymous) says…
"I have a question. Would this hoopla and energy not be more wisely spent out on the hiways and byways picking up trash?"_______________________________________________That's reserved for DWI arrestees...
St_James (James Kaberline) says…
Earth rocks!
idarastar (anonymous) says…
I second that idea, cool! That would be awesome if LJW would do something like that. Take it a step further for the future of newspaper materials.
8muddyboots (anonymous) says…
If people are having some kind of a problem with the way the earth day event played out, tell me, what would a successful event look like? There was record attendance, the community got to spend some time together, and people left feeling good. Without some pre & post event follow-up, that's as close as we'll get to knowing that even holding an earth day event actually makes a difference for the planet. We'd still have to bear in mind that the attendance is skewed towards people who feel comfortable with their politically correct relationship with the environment.
8muddyboots (anonymous) says…
Also... I don't consider myself an activist but I still enjoyed the parade - geez, headlines....