Somehow, I missed James Lileks's Bleat on Earth Day but even he was a day late.
"I remember Earth Day in grade school - we all had Scholastic-issued manuals that taught us how to be good Planetary Citizens. They were Bible-thick, culled from a hundred sources, and virtually unreadable. Many dire stories of what would happen if Mom didn't switch to a non-phosphorous laundry soap. We were all eco-warriors then; we were all shamed by the Indian on TV whose single tear made us want to leap up and shout I'M SORRY! IT'S NOT MY LITTER! I HATE LITTER! (That the Native American turned out to be an Italian American actor was one of life's more savory ironies, but nevermind.) "