Earth Day Every Day
Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 4:43 pm
This past Monday, the world celebrated Earth Day. It was the 43rd such observance and now encompasses 192 countries and more than one billion people. According to the Earth Day website, www.earthday.org, a number of unique events and celebrations took place. In Copenhagen, the Danish Cultural Institute organized its annual CO 2 Green Drive Project in honor of Earth Day. Runners, walkers, bikers, and skaters used their cities as canvasses to spell “CO 2” by tracking their movements with GPS devices. In Santa Barbara, CA, thousands of people attended the local Earth Day Festival, which included live music, presenters, a Green Car Show, and special awards given to Van Jones and Bill Nye. In Veracruz, Mexico, Tortugas Fundacion Yepez mobilized volunteers to protect the habitat of sea turtles by cleaning up the local beaches and organizing a reforestation campaign.”
Even war-torn Iraq joined in. “The Bent Al-Rafedain Organization in Babylon, Iraq (in cooperation with the Department of the Environment) honored Earth Day by documenting the sources of pollution in their community and organizing a media campaign to educate residents and encourage government officials to reduce pollution.”
You may think it a bit odd that today’s blog is talking about Earth Day several days after its observance on April 22, 2013. We could have posted this blog on Monday to proclaim our support and enthusiasm for everything Earth Day represents. But we wanted to wait until the hype had dissipated to make a point. It’s wonderful that there is a day dedicated to recognizing the importance of protecting our planet but such an effort spans much more than one day. The real answers lie in discovering what we can do, each and every day, to make certain that we treat the Earth with respect all year long, year after year. For many people, now that Earth Day 2013 is in the past, it is also out of mind. But not at the American Queen Steamboat Company.
The American Queen has been built to achieve the very highest standards of compliance with environmental concerns. It is the policy of the American Queen Steamboat Company to operate a responsible and environmentally sensitive cruise operation. We seek to protect and preserve the integrity of the habitats of the birds, wildlife and marine life we view. To accomplish our goal, we enlist the help of every guest we carry.
We are cruising in pristine waters and our boat has an outstanding onboard marine sanitation sewage treatment plant that exceeds U.S. Coast Guard standards and preserves the quality of the waters. Of course, one of the easiest ways to keep the environment clean is to refrain from littering. We ask all our guests not to throw anything overboard, including matches, cigarettes or any food waste (as tempting as it might be to feed the wildlife on the river, food waste can be harmful to animals and plants or simply ends up washing onto the riverbank and rotting).
That wonderful cool river breeze makes sitting on deck a pleasant pastime for many of our guests. However, it also means keeping an eye on everything guests bring on deck with them. Plastic or paper cups should never be left unattended or set down where they can be blown overboard. Of course, our courteous and attentive crew will likely be there just in time to collect any items that need to be disposed. Also, our crew and guests make an extra effort to ensure that napkins, paper plates or reading materials are not left loose on any of the decks. You don’t want your copy of Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind to be literally gone with the wind.
On shore, we ask our guests to remember to leave each destination just as they found it. While enjoying the unique, pristine attractions, guests are thoughtful and kind to the fragile environment. We believe in the saying,“Take only pictures and leave only footprints.”
These seem like simple actions, but if one repeats simple actions often enough, they became habit. It also sets a good example, and doing the right thing is often contagious. We love America’s rivers. We love bringing others to know their natural beauty, and their preservation is of paramount importance to the American Queen Steamboat Company. That’s something to celebrate, not just on Earth Day, but every day with our actions, great and small.
Even war-torn Iraq joined in. “The Bent Al-Rafedain Organization in Babylon, Iraq (in cooperation with the Department of the Environment) honored Earth Day by documenting the sources of pollution in their community and organizing a media campaign to educate residents and encourage government officials to reduce pollution.”
You may think it a bit odd that today’s blog is talking about Earth Day several days after its observance on April 22, 2013. We could have posted this blog on Monday to proclaim our support and enthusiasm for everything Earth Day represents. But we wanted to wait until the hype had dissipated to make a point. It’s wonderful that there is a day dedicated to recognizing the importance of protecting our planet but such an effort spans much more than one day. The real answers lie in discovering what we can do, each and every day, to make certain that we treat the Earth with respect all year long, year after year. For many people, now that Earth Day 2013 is in the past, it is also out of mind. But not at the American Queen Steamboat Company.
The American Queen has been built to achieve the very highest standards of compliance with environmental concerns. It is the policy of the American Queen Steamboat Company to operate a responsible and environmentally sensitive cruise operation. We seek to protect and preserve the integrity of the habitats of the birds, wildlife and marine life we view. To accomplish our goal, we enlist the help of every guest we carry.
We are cruising in pristine waters and our boat has an outstanding onboard marine sanitation sewage treatment plant that exceeds U.S. Coast Guard standards and preserves the quality of the waters. Of course, one of the easiest ways to keep the environment clean is to refrain from littering. We ask all our guests not to throw anything overboard, including matches, cigarettes or any food waste (as tempting as it might be to feed the wildlife on the river, food waste can be harmful to animals and plants or simply ends up washing onto the riverbank and rotting).
That wonderful cool river breeze makes sitting on deck a pleasant pastime for many of our guests. However, it also means keeping an eye on everything guests bring on deck with them. Plastic or paper cups should never be left unattended or set down where they can be blown overboard. Of course, our courteous and attentive crew will likely be there just in time to collect any items that need to be disposed. Also, our crew and guests make an extra effort to ensure that napkins, paper plates or reading materials are not left loose on any of the decks. You don’t want your copy of Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind to be literally gone with the wind.
On shore, we ask our guests to remember to leave each destination just as they found it. While enjoying the unique, pristine attractions, guests are thoughtful and kind to the fragile environment. We believe in the saying,“Take only pictures and leave only footprints.”
These seem like simple actions, but if one repeats simple actions often enough, they became habit. It also sets a good example, and doing the right thing is often contagious. We love America’s rivers. We love bringing others to know their natural beauty, and their preservation is of paramount importance to the American Queen Steamboat Company. That’s something to celebrate, not just on Earth Day, but every day with our actions, great and small.