Feature photo by Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash
Earth Day began in 1970, the year that Neil Young released “After the Gold Rush” with the lyrics “Look at Mother Nature on the run…in the 1970s.”
It’s cynical but easy to say that not much has changed. But our air and water are actually much cleaner now, as startling as that seems, thanks wholly to the tireless, dedicated environmentalists and far-sighted 70’s legislators. They – often Republican representatives and governors – passed legislation that regulated pesticide use, smokestack emissions, and manufacturing discharges into rivers and streams.
Believe it or not, the smog in LA was much worse in the 70’s (with far fewer cars!), and the Cuyahoga River famously caught fire and burned for days (as in the Randy Newman song “Burn On”. I think I’ll play that). But as encouraging as those early victories were, we face even more daunting challenges today, in the face of wholesale climate disruption. Vanishing species, plastic pollution in every fish tested, lawmakers hell-bent on easing auto emissions and corporate pollution.…the list goes on and on.
There are simply too many of us, making too much garbage as we put our personal convenience above all else, and enrichening ourselves at all costs, every other living creature, and our planet itself, which turns out to be far more fragile than we thought.
It seems that we have to fight the same battles over and over again. An old environmentalist quote goes: “In the environment, every victory is temporary; every defeat permanent.” Let’s do everything we can: take our own bags to the market, grow native plants for birds and wildlife in our gardens, use our warming-up shower water for plants, avoid over-packaged products (less than 9% of plastic gets recycled), drive less or drive a high-mileage car, write to our legislators every time the lobbyists and corrupt politicians loosen regulations, and most of all, support those effective environmental organizations that are still fighting the fight they began in the 1970’s…whether or not we get a tax deduction!
If you want to reach out, The Natural Resources Defense Council, Center for Biological Diversity, The Audubon Society, Sierra Club, Greenpeace, Environmental Defense Fund, Friends of the Earth, National Wildlife Federation are a few of those organizations that are doing the critical and essential work, never more so than now.
Enjoy some songs for Mother Earth this Sunday on Acoustic Sunrise.
6 Am Hour
After The Gold Rush – Neil Young – After The Gold Rush
Sound Of Sunshine (Slow) – Michael Franti & Spearhead – Sound Of Sunshine
Set On Fire – Magic Giant – Into The Wind Acoustic
Nightingale – Norah Jones – KFOG Archives
John’s Cocoon’s – Michael McNevin – Sketch
Lindisfarne – Darlingside – Extralife
I Love The World I’m In – Luka Bloom – Eleven Songs
Lemon Tree – Josh Rouse – El Turista
Spirit Cold – Tall Heights – Neptune
Oceanea – Thomas Dolby – Map Of The Floating City
Bears – Lyle Lovett – Step Inside This House
Johnny’s Garden – Steve Stills – Manassas
7 Am Hour
Here Comes The Sun – Beatles- Abbey Road
I Am The Sun – Ben Taylor Band – Famous Among The Barns
The Mother – Brandi Carlile – By The Way I Forgive You
Four Seasons In One Day – Finn Brothers – KFOG Archives
Stormbringer – Beck – Tribute To John Martyn
Beautiful Bluebird – Neil Young – Chrome Dreams Ii
Walking In Your Footsteps – Police- Synchronicity
Hallelujah – Noah Kahan – (Single)
All The King’s Horses – Robert Plant – KFOG Live from the Archives 13
Blue Ridge Mountains – Fleet Foxes – Bridge Concerts 25th Anniversary
Golden State – John Doe – KFOG Live from the Archives 14
And I Love Him – Benjamin Gibbard – Universal Love
8 Am Hour
Weather With You – Crowded House – Woodface
Sierra – Boz Scaggs – KFOG Archives
Haunted By Design – Myles Kennedy – Year Of The Tiger
Canned Goods – Greg Brown – One Night
Green Fields – Eliza Gilkyson – Your Town Tonight
Sparrow & The Wolf – James Vincent Mcmorrow – Early In The Morning
Call It Dreaming – Iron & Wine – Beast Epic
Crude Greed – David Wilcox – KFOG Live from the Archives 18
If A Tree Falls – Bruce Cockburn – Big Circumstance
Storms And Hurricanes – ALO – Sounds Like This
Ridgetop – Jesse Colin Young – Song For Juli/ Best Of: The Solo Years
9 Am Hour
Before The Deluge – Jackson Browne – I’m The Cat
Acoustic Motorbike – Luka Bloom – Acoustic Motorbike
Dance With Me – Sweet Remains – Laurel and Sunset
Mother Nature’s Son – Beatles – White Album
Thoughts All In – Shook Twins – What We Do
Who’s Gonna Stand Up – Neil Young – Storyline
Rain In The Summertime – Mike Peters – Mike Peters Acoustic 1987-1991
Quiet Corners & Empty Spaces – Jayhawks – Paging Mr Proust
Angel Dance – Robert Plant – Band Of Joy
Big Yellow Taxi – Counting Crows – Hard Candy
Shilo – Peter Himmelman – Skin
10 Am Hour
In A Big Country – Big Country – Why The Long Face (Acoustic)
Big Sky Country – Chris Whitley – Living With The Law
Walk Away – Xavier Rudd – Storm Boy
Walk On The Ocean – Toad The Wet Sprocket – KFOG Live from the Archives 02
Cracking The Code – Band Of Heathens – Duende
Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle – Jack Johnson – Sing-A-Longs & Lullabies For The Film Curious George
Soak Up The Sun – Sheryl Crow – KFOG Rarity
Wildflowers – Wailin’ Jennies – Fifteen (Covers)
Kiss From A Rose – Seal – Best Of Seal
Nature’s Way – Spirit – Best Of
Somewhere Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World – Israel Kamakawiwo’ole – Facing Future
Nothing But Flowers – Guster – KFOG Archives