Earth Day thank-you

To the editor:

The Earth Day celebration in South Park on Saturday was a terrific success, thanks to the hard work of Cassandra and others at the Lawrence Waste and Recycling Department. It was a day of hope in troubled times as we all learned ways to make a difference and heal the Earth.

Animal Outreach of Kansas was able to serve free vegan lunches to an estimated 500 people. Eating a plant-based diet, free of all animal derived food, and free of the violence inflicted on “food” animals, is the simplest, least time-consuming, and most powerful and far-reaching step anyone can take to help heal the Earth. Animal agriculture causes more pollution than cars. It turns forests into pastures, then deserts, and displaces indigenous people. It wastes and pollutes water worldwide and kills more wildlife than all other human activities. Fifty billion farmed animals are killed every year, along with 50 billion aquatic animals, totaling 100 billion animals killed every year.

We want to thank all those who contributed food and help to make the our picnic lunch a great success. For the animals, the earth and the children.

Judy Carman,

Lecompton