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Earth Day 2019
By Antonino Piluso\Installation Energy Manager
Earth Day, celebrated annually on April 22, is the largest environmental campaign on the planet, when the citizens of the world come together to celebrate the Earth and promote its preservation. Earth Day was initially proposed in 1970 by former U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson after witnessing the effects of the massive 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. Today, this event is celebrated by nearly one billion people each year in 192 countries around the world.
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The first Earth Day emphasized conservation of natural resources. As the event evolved, Earth Day has become educational. Environmental groups use it as an opportunity to assess the state of the planet’s health: air, water, soil, ecosystems, species, and energy resources.
Earth Day also showcases solutions that lessen the impacts of human activities like the recycling of materials, conserving finite natural resources such as oil and gas, banning the use of harmful chemicals, preserving habitats, and protecting endangered and threatened species.
In 2000, thanks to advent of the digital age, the founding spirit of Earth Day spread globally. The event succeeded in involving more than 5,000 environmental groups outside the United States, reaching hundreds of millions of people. Its success can be attributed to the “Green Generation,” which promotes a future free from fossil fuel energy, in favor of renewable resources.
Locally, the Navy developed an energy savings program that has reduced the energy intensity at Naval Air Station Sigonella by 35% in the last 13 years. In addition to minimizing energy consumption, this approach increases the reliability and resiliency of the base’s energy infrastructure.
To continue the base’s investment into environmental health, a new energy project will increase energy efficiency and provide up to 30% of the electrical power demand from using renewable solar power. NAS Sigonella is proud to actively play a role in celebrating Earth Day by making the environmental footprint of the base smaller.
