Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet
Earth Week campaign encourages Kentuckians to take personal interest in their environment

FRANKFORT, Ky. (April 13, 2006) - Kentucky’s Earth Week 2006 campaign features a wealth of activities designed to emphasize and promote personal action to benefit the environment. The campaign encourages Kentuckians to ponder a question: What can you do?

Governor Ernie Fletcher will formally kick off Earth Week in Kentucky on Monday in a public ceremony on the rear terrace of the Capitol at 10 a.m. EDT. Earth Day, first observed in 1970, will be celebrated across the United States and internationally on Saturday, April 22.

In Kentucky, Earth Week is the culmination of a month-long campaign that has been spearheaded each year since 2004 by the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet (EPPC) under Governor Fletcher and Secretary LaJuana S. Wilcher.

Dozens of activities - cleanups, nature hikes, free waste collections, technology demonstrations and seminars - have been organized across Kentucky. A special Web site, www.earthday.ky.gov <http://www.earthday.ky.gov>, contains a schedule of events and a lode of Earth Day tips and resources.

The emphasis is on personal action and responsibility - encouraging individuals to take stock of personal habits and living patterns, such as resources they consume and the amount of waste they generate but fail to recycle, and resolve to make improvements

"What can any of us do to benefit our environment? The possibilities are practically endless," Wilcher said. "Everyone, regardless of age, gender, income or education level, can do something. Our greatest and most lasting contribution to the Earth will be in the form of small changes made by ordinary people in the course of everyday living."

Other major events organized for the coming week by EPPC and some of its Earth Day partners include dedication of a new state natural area in Logan County, the opening of an East Kentucky Power Corp. plant to produce electricity from landfill methane gas in Hardin County, an Earth Day forum sponsored by LexMark International Inc. in Lexington, a mercury collection project for Fayette County, and presentation of the Environmental Quality Commission’s annual Earth Day awards in Frankfort.

Kentuckians will join others across the world in celebrating Earth Day on Saturday, April 22. Spearheaded by the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet, a number of state agencies, local governments, businesses and organizations have joined together to celebrate Earth Day in the Commonwealth. Some of these partners have organized environmental activities throughout the month of April while others are providing information and resources on protecting Kentucky’s environment.