- Chemists Celebrate Earth Day
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Earth Day was first officially recognized on April 22, 1970 as a way to demonstrate support for a healthy environment and to make the planet a better place, raise awareness about environmental issues, and remind people that we all need to contribute to a sustainable planet.
The American Chemical Society (ACS) observes Earth Day with the Chemists Celebrate Earth Day (CCED) program. ACS offers a suite of events, contests and educational resources that can be used by ACS members, chemical educators, and chemistry enthusiasts to illustrate the positive role that chemistry plays in the world.
For years, chemists have been promoting a better world through recyclable plastics, cleaner-burning fuels, phosphate-free detergents, environmental monitoring, and green chemistry initiatives. ACS joined the Earth Day celebration on April 22, 2003. There have been annual Chemists Celebrate Earth Day (CCED) events ever since.
Each year, ACS highlights one of four general topics (water, air, plants/soil or recycling) and chooses a specific “theme name” under the topic to focus the CCED celebration.
ACS local sections, Student Affiliates Chapters and divisions take part in the celebration, particularly the annual community event. Additionally, hands-on activities have been developed for CCED celebrations, and it is hoped that ACS members, chemical educators and chemistry enthusiasts will use them to illustrate the positive role that chemistry plays in the world.
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Topics and Themes of Chemists Celebrate Earth Day
The American Chemical Society (ACS) began celebrating Earth Day in 2003. Each year the ACS Committee on Community Activities chooses an annual theme to help give direction and variety to that year’s celebration. Chemists Celebrate Earth Day (CCED) theme names will not repeat, but they will rotate through the general topics of water, atmosphere, plants/soil and recycling. Although the materials below are from past celebrations, they cover topics that will always be relevant to chemistry and earth.
ACS offers a suite of events, contests and educational resources that can be used by ACS members, chemical educators, and chemistry enthusiasts to illustrate the positive role that chemistry plays in the world.
Current Theme
Water - 2008 Theme: "Streaming Chemistry"
Join in the celebration on April 22, 2008 or any time that week! Conduct an environmental awareness event at your school, or participate in an ACS Local Section-sponsored event in your area.[1]
2008 Community Event - "Adopt-A-Stream"
In an “Adopt-A-Stream” program, groups register with the environmental protection office of their state or local government to clean-up and keep clean a section of a stream or aquifer. In addition to clean-up efforts, volunteers may be asked to monitor water quality and/or pollution sources. Responsibilities vary slightly from one municipality to the next. Provide water quality information at your event and document it with a photograph that you will submit to ACS.
2008 K-12 Event -Illustrated Haiku Contest
Students are asked to write and illustrate a haiku using the Chemists Celebrate Earth Day theme, “Streaming Chemistry”. Detailed rules and guidelines are available on the Chemists Celebrate Earth Day website, www.acs.org/earthday. A haiku is a three-line poem with five syllables in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the third. Haikus typically have nature-related themes and do not rhyme.
2008 College Event - College Contest “Adopt-A-Stream” Community Service Contest
Undergraduate students are invited to participate in the community service outreach event and compete for the best event.
Past themes
General Topic Theme Name Main Focus Recycling - 2007 “Recycling—Chemistry Can!” Focuses on recyclable materials, how materials are sorted and ways to reduce, reuse and recycle.[1] Plants & Soil - 2006 “Dig It!” Explores the layers of the soil, movement of soil and erosion as well as movement of water and nutrients from the soil to plants.[2] Atmosphere - 2005 “Air—Here, There Everywhere” Looks at the different types of clouds, their chemical make-up and their role in the water cycle. Also emphasizes air as a gas that we don’t see, but is there.[3] Water - 2004 “What Do You Know About H2O?” Discusses water chemistry with emphasis on the pH of water and other common substances, including rainwater from the local area.[4] Trees - 2003 (pilot year) “Chemis—TREE” Emphasizes the important role trees play in cleaning our air as well as the effects acid rain can have on trees in a particular area.[5] Future topics and “Theme Names” as available
- 2009 Atmosphere: “Air—The Sky’s The Limit”
- 2010 Plants/Soil
- 2011 Recycling
- 2012 Water
Notes
External links
Categories:- Environmental awareness days
- April observances
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