EPA Great Lakes Earth Day Challenge a Resounding Success; More E-Waste and Old Meds Collections This Weekend
EPA Earth Tones - the EPA's own folk band from Chi-Town
EPA Regional Administrator Mary A. Gade encourages public to participate in remaining events of the EPA Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge
(Chicago, Illinois) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Mary A. Gade celebrated Earth Day 2008 with crowds gathered at Daley Plaza in Chicago.
This video shows some of the fun, music and serious business at hand during the Chicago Earth Day celebration and the EPA's own folkband - the Earth Tones.
The Earth Tones are a folk band of Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA - Region 5, Chicago, IL) employees, who first performed together to celebrate Earth Day on April 22, 1996.
Over two million pills have been collected so far, and the goal was one million.
Over one million tons of electronics was targeted - and early results show that figure will be exceeded by far.
Gade encouraged everyone to participate in the EPA Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge that runs through the end of April.
While some events were held last weekend, many of the challenge electronic and pharmaceutical collections are this Saturday, April 26 across eight states.
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CHICAGO, April 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Communities and residents of the Great Lakes basin have responded enthusiastically to EPA's Great Lakes Earth Day Challenge to collect 1 million pounds of electronics for recycling and 1 million pills for safe disposal to keep contaminants out of the Great Lakes.
In the past week, 75 collections were held in towns and cities around the Great Lakes.
Almost 70 more collections are scheduled in the week ahead.
"We are very pleased that so many people have stepped up to accept the Great Lakes Earth Day Challenge," said EPA Great Lakes National Program Manager and Region 5 Administrator Mary A. Gade. "Communities have reported collecting more medicines and electronics this Earth Week than at any previous collections."
EPA has received preliminary results from just ten of those collections and can report that 2,184,000 pills have already been turned in for safe disposal -- more than double the challenge goal.
EPA also expects to far exceed its goal for e-waste based on 216,000 pounds of electronics collected at six events.
"Let's keep the momentum going this weekend. This is an easy way for everyone to take part in protecting the Great Lakes. Find a nearby collection event and safely get rid of old electronics and medicines," added Gade.
Collections will take place this weekend this in Buffalo, Chicago, Erie, Duluth, Fort Wayne, Milwaukee and many other communities.
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Formerly known as "The Ad Hoc String Band," the Earth Tones play an eclectic mix of old-time country, bluegrass, Cajun, Celtic folk, and folk-pop.
The Earth Tones have performed a concert at the EPA on every Earth Day (April 22) since 1996, and numerous other "in house" gigs.
Meet "The Band" - Karen Reshkin (Vocal, Fiddle), Bill Tong (Vocal, Autoharp, Tenor Banjo, 12-string Guitar), Ted Smith (Vocal, Guitar), Mary Ann Suero (Vocal, Guitar), John Haugland (Vocal, Fiddle, 5-string Banjo), Rich Murawski (Drums, Percussion)
http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/337/info.php
A complete list of collections and their locations is available on EPA's Web site:
http://www.epa.gov/greatlakes/earthday2008/events.html
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EPA Press release.
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/epas-great-lakes-earth-day,367679.shtml
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Flow of the River EPA Blog including Chicago Earth Day event:
http://flowoftheriver.epa.gov/greatlakeschallenge
http://flowoftheriver.epa.gov/greatlakeschallenge/2008/04/earth-day-in-re.html
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Earth911 Story on EPA Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge:
http://earth911.org/blog/2008/03/14/epas-great-lakes-2008-earth-day-challenge...
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The interfaith Earth Healing Initiative:
http://www.earthhealinginitiative.org
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3:18AUTOHARP MUSIC - short medley Will Smithby autoharperdotcom343 views
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