by Al Campbell
VANCOUVER, April 13 (Xinhua) -- About six million Canadians are expected to participate in events across the country to mark the upcoming Earth Day, April 22, according to the national umbrella organization overseeing the celebrations.
Jed Goldberg, president of the Toronto-based Earth Day Canada, said the United Nations-recognized initiative was a growing concern as from its humble beginnings in 1970 in the United States, the occasion was now being marked in more than 180 countries and territories by more than one billion people.
"Earth Day is a day you reflect with what is going on with our environment, what challenges we' re facing, what needs to be done to deal with our problems, but most importantly what solutions are available to local people in their community to help deal with the issue," said the solar energy advocate.
"It is our view that the most important environmental work that gets done is the work that' s done in neighborhoods and communities, not necessarily the work that' s done by a whole country or a by some worldwide body."
Lorna Gibbs is one of those people getting it done in her neighborhood. As a committee member for Earth Day Vancouver, which is being marked on April 30 due to the Easter long weekend the week previous, the elderly but spry Gibbs said she expected anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 people to turn out for the event at Everett Crowley Park.
