Currently over 1,300 boats and many more people are signed up to help break a World Record on the waters of Downtown Pittsburgh. If you’re keeping track, YES, that’s more then the previous records set in New York and Cleveland! Great job everyone!

Registrations are still rolling in, and we hope you’ll keep spreading the word. We’re aiming to break the record by several hundred; we want Pittsburgh’s World Record to last!

As part of the celebration and conversation about water quality issues in our region and around the globe, Pittsburgh presents the Water Matters! Global Water Conference on Thursday, June 3rd.

The Water Matters! Conference will provide fascinating insights into the challenges and opportunities in our human relationship with water.  Don’t miss it.

The conference represents the most remarkable line-up of water experts to ever visit Pittsburgh.  Come be part of an eye-opening exploration of the ways Water Matters!

The exhibit area complements the rich conference content with a focus on educating the public about innovative solutions to water and biodiversity challenges and opportunities.  Learn more about becoming an exhibitor.

Space is limited, registration ends Tuesday!  Register now.

A partial list of keynotes and speakers includes:

• David Ainsworth, UN Convention on Biological Diversity
• Peter Annin, Institutes for Journalism & Natural Resources
• Roberta Bowman, Duke Energy
• Herb Buxton, US Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program
• Marla Cone, Environmental Health News
• Don Correll, American Water
• John Cronin, The Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries
• Marc Edwards, Virginia Tech
• Juliet Eilperin, The Washington Post
• Amy Fraenkel, UNEP Regional Office for North America
• Katherine Jackson, Westinghouse
• Greg Koch, Global Water Stewardship Program, The Coca-Cola Company
• Mike Magee, healthy-waters.org
• Rich Meeusen, Badger Meter Co and Milwaukee 7 Water Council
• Kathleen Miller, National Center for Atmospheric Research
• Carl Safina, Blue Ocean Institute
• Peggy Shepard, WE ACT for Environmental Justice 

Unfortunately, story-mongers, this vision is…well…completely fictitious. The two days coexist – even complement one another, and each was born of a widespread desire to improve the way people use, and sometimes, abuse the environment.

As you’ll notice, little separates Earth Day and World Environment Day but a few weeks and the details of their birth. Take a look through the history of the events. It’s clear that Pittsburgh, in hosting World Environment Day this year, has a unique opportunity to promote what our city does well and grow greener still.

Earth Day

Today, Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 in over 170 countries and on the Spring Equinox (around March 20) in even more. It’s the only event celebrated simultaneously around the globe by people of all backgrounds, faith traditions, and nationalities – although at first, it was slightly more regional.

On the verge of the 1970s, the United States found itself in the political and emotional quagmire that was the Vietnam war, rising unrest with environmental stability, and the slow wane of the civil rights movements’ height.

In 1962, Rachel Carson turned heads with bestseller Silent Spring, which exposed the harmful effects of the pesticide DDT. Throughout the 60’s, researchers like Paul R. Ehrlich drew attention to the increasing pressure human activities placed on natural amenities; and the effects of pollution began making the front page.

For example, in June 1969, massive water pollution made it possible for the Cuyahoga River to catch fire and an oil spill happened near Santa Barbara, California.

These movements left Americans prepared to rally for even more change.

Sensing the nation’s profound discontent with environmental degradation, then-Senator Gaylord Nelson harnessed the desire for change by announcing a nationwide “teach-in” that would “shake up” D.C. and demonstrate the importance the American people placed on conservation. It worked.

On April 22, 1970, in a massive nonpartisan effort, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, auditoriums, and classrooms nationwide in the first Earth Day.

Senator Nelson later reflected that Earth Day was able to influence positive responses and legislation in government “because of the spontaneous response at the grassroots level. We had neither the time nor resources to organize 20 million demonstrators and the thousands of schools and local communities that participated… the remarkable thing about Earth Day [was that] it organized itself.”

April 22nd fun facts:

• In 1832, Julius Sterling Morton, Founder of Arbor Day, was born.

• In 1889, at high noon, thousands rushed to claim land in the Land Run of 1889. Within hours, the cities of Oklahoma City and Guthrie were formed with populations above 10,000.

• In 1970, the Daughters of the American Revolution took note of April 22 as Vladimir Lenin’s birth date and protested the first Earth Day as a potential “Communist trick.” We are certainly glad it wasn’t!

World Environment Day

Have you pegged the Earth Day crew as a rowdy, world-changing bunch? World Environment Day (WED) is not a far cry from the same. While both holidays are celebrated worldwide, WED also trades hosting privileges each year.

The host city, in cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme, sets the tone, chooses the issues they find especially poignant, and arranges events—both “people’s events” like awareness-raising parades, rallies, concerts, and clean-up campaigns, and “intellectual” events, which provide opportunities to share technologies and concerns, create legislation and sign environmental pacts, utilize media to publicize sustainability issues, and re-commit our cities to environmental health on the personal and governmental levels.

The United Nations explains the WED agenda as “to give a human face to environmental issues; empower people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development; promote an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues; and advocate partnership which will ensure all nations and peoples enjoy a safer and more prosperous future.”

Pittsburgh is this year’s host! For more information, visit http://www.pittsburghwed.com/

Some global hosts and themes from the past 10 World Environment Days:

2009 Mexico City, Mexico – Your Planet Needs You – UNite to Combat Climate Change
2008 Wellington, New Zealand – Kick The Habit – Towards A Low Carbon Economy
2007 Tromsø, Norway – Melting Ice – a Hot Topic?
2006 Algiers, Algeria – Deserts and Desertification- Don’t Desert Drylands!
2005 San Francisco, USA – Green Cities – Plan for the Planet!
2004 Barcelona, Spain – Wanted! Seas and Oceans – Dead or Alive?
2003 Beirut, Lebanon – Water – Two Billion People are Dying for It!
2002 Shenzhen, China – Give Earth a Chance!
2001 Torino, Italy & Havana, Cuba – Connect with the World Wide Web of Life
2000 Adelaide, Australia – The Environment Millennium – Time to Act

June 5th fun facts:

• In 1723, Adam Smith, economist who championed the concept of free trade, was baptized in Kirkcaldy, Scotland.

• In 1851, Harriet Beecher Stowe’s popular anti-slavery serial, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, began its ten-month-run in the National Era newspaper.

• In 1898, poet Federico García Lorca was born near Grenada, Spain.

• In 1956, Elvis Presley scandalized the audience of The Milton Berle Show when he released his new single, “Hound Dog,” complete with suggestive hip movements.