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2009 Earth Day celebration
Photos from the 2009 Earth Day celebration
The 15th annual Earth Day celebration was held on Friday, April 24, 2009, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m at the Missouri State Capitol south lawn.
The 2009 Earth Day slogan is Reuse the Past, Recycle the Present, Save the Future. The slogan was submitted by 10-year old Emma Albertson, daughter of Chis and Traci Albertson, of Russellville.
Earth Day activities
The Department of Natural Resources sponsors and hosts the event at the Capitol each
year. Activities include information booths,
games and displays about the environment. Many other state and federal
agencies participated through educational displays and exhibits.
Zero Waste Challenge
A Zero Waste Challenge was conducted at Earth Day. According to Rob Didriksen, Coordinator of the Missouri State Recycling Program, "In 2008, we sorted through the trash and removed recyclable materials and counted this as part of the waste stream that got recycled. In 2009 we did not sort through the trash to remove recyclable materials … whatever was in the trash got counted as trash. Even though we did not remove recyclable materials from the trash this year, there was nearly a 2 percent increase in the overall amount of material recycled. In 2008, 44.3 percent of the waste stream was recycled and in 2009 this figure increased to 45.1 percent."
Here are some additional stats:
Trash = 308.4 lbs. (54.9 percent)
Mixed Office Paper = 10 lbs. (1.8 percent)
Cardboard = 199.4 lbs. (35.5 percent)
Commingled Beverage Containers = 43.8 lbs. (7.8 percent)
The nation's very first Earth Day was held in 1970 and led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Earth Day Agencies and Sponsors
Missouri Department of Natural Resources - Host agency
Air Pollution Control Program
Division of Geology and Land Survey
Energy Center
Environmental Emergency Response
Hazardous Waste Program
Land Reclamation Program
Missouri State Parks
Soil and Water Conservation Program
Solid Waste Management Program
Water Protection ProgramMissouri Department of Transportation
Missouri Department of Conservation - Runge Nature Center
U.S. Geological Survey - Rolla MCMC and Rolla NGCOT
Jefferson City Department of Community Development and Cole County MU Extension
Missouri Department of Agriculture
Missouri Office of Administration - State Recycling Program
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
Central Bank - Jefferson City
2009 Earth Day Photos
The huge crowd at the Earth Day celebration in Jefferson City.
