To the editor,
In response to Chris Benjamin’s article “Earth attack” (Apr. 16,
Sustainable City): thank you. The article was a necessary call to
attention that isolated, one-day efforts will not be enough to reverse
our current culture of environmental exploitation.
However, Benjamin’s cynicism misses the mark in an important regard.
Earth Day provides a once-a-year platform for environmental groups to
take advantage of (sometimes elusive) media and public attention. This
generates a lot of awareness and much of the desperately needed
funding that propels the positive work these groups do all year
round.
The staff and volunteers who are working tirelessly to create
positive change for the environment need to use these all-too-rare
occasions to bring profile to their efforts, which do have a lasting
impact.
—Stephanie Hughes
This article appears in Apr 23-29, 2009.
