Earth Day

Dia de la Tierra

April Events

April 17

Film: Kiss the GroundRegenerating Hope for Climate. UU Church 419 San Juan Dr. | 6-8pm

April 20

Electronics Recycling La Plata Fairgrounds

Turn off the lights

As a student at Fort Lewis College that came from Salt Lake City, it’s incredible how much damage artificial lighting can do. Growing up in a big city, stars basically didn’t exist. When I’d look up in the sky at night, all I saw was the radiating glow of thousands of streetlights and a dim moonlight. When I came here, I knew it would be different, a small town with a much smaller population, and I was reaffirmed as I looked up my first night in town and was amazed by the amount of stars I could see.

Light pollution is the excess of artificial light, and this causes a few environmental issues, including throwing birds off their migration patterns, destroying breeding habits in animals, sleep deprivation in humans and the lack of stars in our night skies. Birds and their migration patterns are easily thrown off, because when exposed to artificial light, their biological clock is thrown off.

Light pollution also affects the breeding habits of animals, such as the ghost moth. Ghost moths are pollinators, however, they are born with one disadvantage: they don’t have mouths. They live to mate and pollinate and then die. They only mate in the evenings/nighttime, and when the presence of artificial light is there, they feel threatened and won’t breed. This happens with so many species, including many amphibians, slowly dwindling their numbers down.

As for sleep deprivation in humans, it’s the same reason why people tell you to not stare at your phone right before you go to bed. Artificial light messes with your biological clock and either makes it harder to fall asleep or impossible.

You might ask what the solution to light pollution is. It’s as simple as switching off your lights at night. Not only are you going to live a healthier life, but you will save some money.

As for the intrusive streetlights and lights from businesses? Write letters to your representatives explaining why this is an issue you care about and why they should, too. Not every form of pollution is an easy fix, but light pollution is just a flick of a switch away from being solved.

– Jake Schafer, Durango

Way of the dinosaur

This March was the 20th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq by the U.S. as well as smaller troop assistance by the United Kingdom. Our country is not supposed to invade a country and reap the benefits of resources. With England allowed to reap benefits, British Petroleum, or BP, tapped into the world’s third-largest oil field with then-President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney to cash in as well.

One would think an oil-rich country would at least take care of its people, especially after the death toll reached 400,000 Iraqis, according to Amnesty International. But to this day, there is plenty of poverty and corruption in Iraq, even with the 2,500 American troops there now.

Some people in the world think we did wrong in Iraq, like Russia is doing now in Ukraine by creating horrendous havoc. Our leaders say it is not the same. Methinks war stinks no matter what, and we, partners and even China should offer solutions instead of intrusions. Stop this atrocity that could do us all in and end us like the dinosaurs.

– Sally Florence, Durango

8:00-5:30pm

April 20

Robin Wall Kimmerer Braiding Sweetgrass FLC | 6-7:30pm

April 22 - Earth Day!

Parade: Dress up as your favorite animal, tree, fungi and join the "procession of the species" parade. Meet at the Train Station on Main, walk or bike to Buckley Park

10:10am

Celebration at Buckley Music, food, trash-totreasure art and maker space, circus, booths, fun for kids, and workshops. Buckley Park | 11am earthdaydurango.com