Earth Day 2010

It’s that time of year when everyone should take a brief moment to bow down before the almighty Gaia, thank her for the planet, and try to undo the damage pollutin’ idiots have caused. That, more or less, is the meaning of Earth Day. (Here’s a good history on the day and its founder, Gaylord Nelson, courtesy of the Writer’s Almanac.)

Events marking the day’s 40th anniversary have been happening all week. Here’s a list of what’s planned today. (Worth noting: Pledge to WABE today and Trees Atlanta will plant one of those leafy gremlins along the Beltline in your honor.)

Be sure to check our Events page for more activities planned for this weekend. On Saturday, Atlanta City Councilwoman Carla Smith will hold her annual Electronic Waste Recycling Day at Turner Field. Bring your old, unwanted electronics to the Blue Lot from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and send them off to a environmentally safe afterlife. (There’s a $10 fee for TVs, which is a bargain when you compare it to most e-recycling programs.)

A cool event you won’t want to miss: The 3rd annual Beltline Bike Tour on Sunday. Three different routes are offered, ranging from a short ride to a full trek around the proposed 22-mile loop parks, trails and transit. Riders will leave Grady High School at 1 p.m. All routes loop back to that point.

If you’ve got an event in mind, leave the details in the comments.

After the jump, an animated piece that the Mother Nature Network’s Russell McLendon assembled. It reviews Earth Day’s 40-year history — and the progress and setbacks the environment’s faced — in less than five minutes. (He’s also a former CL staffer who we dearly miss.)