Earth Day, Friday, April 22, 2011

Earth Day, 2011

April is a special month for our planet as the world prepares to celebrate Earth Day on Friday, April 22. The first Earth Day was held in 1970 in the United States, and is now considered the start of the modern North American environmental movement. A host of modern challenges must have been unimaginable at the first Earth Day, held 41 years ago. This year marks the 41^th annual event...now world-wide.

Mention ‘hybrid’ and most envision hybrid vehicles –one viable path towards a greener future. The technology is simple: add an electric motor and rechargeable batteries to the conventional gas engine—and increase efficiency up to 50 percent.

Hybrids occur in nature as well. Hybridization is the process of interbreeding between individuals of different species (interspecific) or genetically divergent individuals from the same species (intraspecific).

Hybrid animals are cross-bred between animals of similar genetics. Dogs and wolves crossbreed rather freely, resulting in a dog-wolf hybrid. Less frequently, when a grizzly mates with a polar bear, a grolar/pizzly hybrid is produced, although the two animals normally avoid each other in the wild.

Plants hybridize more often and more successfully than animals do. Humans use intraspecific hybridization (between strains of a single species) to develop high-yielding crops or bigger, better flowers (although it’s sad that the scent has all but been bred out of greenhouse roses). Some 90 percent of today’s corn is of hybrid origin.

Earth Day provides Earthlings an opportunity to honour and help the planet. If joining a trail clean-up seems like hard work (in truth, it is), then a simple nature walk might be an option. The humble Prairie Crocus will soon be popping out all over Calgary hillsides, and finding them is a thrill worthy of Earth Day.

HAPPY EARTH DAY EVERYONE!