U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson founded Earth Day as an environmental teach-in, today 40 years ago. His movement began at a grassroots level, mobilizing from a huge student body ranging from High Schools to Universities. Approximately 20 million Americans participated. The movement began because people recognized the need for environmental protection and the need for change due to increasing levels of pollution and waste. Much time has passed and much has transpired in these past 40 years. Our environment is still deteriorating, we still experience oil spills, our ponds are still being poised by toxic waste, every day we lose a part of our wilderness and wildlife, we continue to pile up huge amounts of garbage that ends up in landfills, and on it goes. Yes, some aspects have gotten better, for the most part humans are replanting trees, and are beginning to look for eco-friendly fuel alternatives, but we have a long way to go.
Today we want to not celebrate the political movers and shakers or the lobbyists, but rather all the grassroots people who have changed the way they look at experiencing life and food. Let’s thank and celebrate our Primal and Paleolithic communities, as well as our local farmers.
By making small adjustments such as buying locally grown vegetables that aren’t sprayed with pesticides and waxes that destroy our soil, water and our bodies and by using our own bags, we can already make a big difference. Locally grown and grass-fed beef, pork, chickens, eggs, etc. do not emit as much methane gas because they are not corn-fed, and are not packaged in thick layers of plastic, which only contribute to more landfill. These are merely a couple of examples of all the things that we can do to facilitate a healthier earth in our households.
It is truly amazing how much we, personally, have cut down in recyclables and household trash since we have adapted to a Primal and Paleo way of life – about 80% overall of what we used to generate in garbage. Amazing! Granted not everyone can have a compost pile, understood, but with every small informed and conscientious adjustment to how we view life and food, we can make a big impact on Earth Day, every day.
We believe that the 2010 grassroots movement will be greatly impacted by our Primal and Paleo communities who have already made huge contributions and continue to do so every day. So this celebration and thanks goes out to all of you.
Happy Earth Day! NK 
Nutty Kitchen 