The Slow Food USA Blog

Planning for Earth Day: Connecting Climate Change and Food

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by Slow Food USA Intern Carol Dacey-Charles

Earth Day is April 22—what are you going to do?

Did you know that Earth Day movement began in 1970 with 20 million people nationwide stepping out and to celebrate and to demand more attention be spent to protect and honor our environment?  It led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts. Today there are even more Earth Day celebrations being held in the US, and Slow Food USA chapters are helping to make the link between sustainable and clean food and a vital eco-system.

So, how are you going to celebrate this year? Maybe you will be spending the weekend of April 18 at one of many Earth Day Fairs like those taking place in San Diego, Reno, Nashville, Wake Forest University or on the National Mall in DC. Many nation wide events are listed at the Earth Day Network Website.

You may also want to get to know a more intimate crowd at a local Slow Food gathering in Nashville, Brooklyn, Santa Cruz, Saratoga, San Diego, Piedmont Triad, or Charlotte.

If you want to get a little more hands on, you can organize your own Earth Dinner—and Organic Valley wants to help you!  At their Earth Dinner Website you can get ideas for organizing, menus, discussion topics and even a list of coast-to-coast public Earth Dinner events you can attend. 

Let us know what you are doing!

Also, if you are interested in reading more about the connection between climate change and food:

   
• Check out the website “Take a Bite out of Climate Change”
   
• Read the Manifesto on Climate Change and Food, written by THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON THE FUTURE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE headed up by Vandana Shiva