From the Editors "With an American president who stands in opposition to the Kyoto Treaty and carbon dioxide emissions escalating at an ozone-endangering clip, the earth needs all the help it can get at the grass roots level. Catering to supporters of the cause is the Central Park Conservancy's annual Earth Day Celebration, which encourages citizens to embrace environmentalism in a full day of food, face painting, performances, educational activities, arts and crafts, picnicking, potato-sack races and other organized lawn games. Making it easier to be green is the availability of free valet bike parking throughout the day, allowing guests to curb their Priuses in favor of emission-free transport. Proving that there's more to eco-friendly trends than Birkenstocks and hemp sack-dresses, an environmentally conscious fashion show will feature ready-to-wear made without the exploitation of animals. And, for those eager to explore the manicured wilderness of Olmsted's urban 'Greensward,' the Conservancy will conduct guided tours throughout the day." -- Julia Clinger

Can Human Survive Global Warming?

Learn About Global Warming... Calculate Your Climate Impact...

The planet is getting warmer. "Get the facts, then see how your energy choices contribute to the warming -- and how to reduce your impact."

In recognition of earth day...I attribute the following message at this auspicious moment!

Truth is told! While the earth remains seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day night shall not cease" (Genesis 8:22).

The Farmer Invaluable Contributions

Every morning without fail, no matter what day of the week or what season it is the rooster's crow at 5:00 a.m. wakes Matilda Gibbons, a farmer in Montauk, Long Island. She rolls out of bed and throws a red flannel shirt over her tousled silver-blond hair before climbing into a pair of worn beige overalls. Time to feed the chickens, she says to herself, mantra-like, then milk the cows, plow the wheat fields, and prune the grapes in the vineyards. How she wishes her husband Jack was here, but years of toil took its toll on him, so much so that he died from a heart attack last year. Now, Matilda has to run their farm, Whipper-Snapper Grove, on her own. Well, she's grateful for her two hired hands, Charlie and Frank. Too bad she never had any children to help out with the land.

After quickly downing a cup of black coffee and a banana bran muffin from the batch of 20 she made yesterday, Matilda steps outside. Looks like a nice day, she thinks, her hazel eyes fixed on the powder-blue sky filled with puffy white clouds. Early fall is such a nice time of year, she reflects, as she looks out at the 60 acres that comprise domain. She pauses to sit for a moment on the cherry rocking chair on her farmhouse's front porch, thinking of the other daily tasks that she, with Charlie and Frank, must accomplish today: feed the two dogs, four cats, and three horses; clean all the rugs in the house; stack the hay in the small barn; wash the dogs; clean out the big barn; assemble the eggs for delivery; groom the horses and finish building the fence around the vineyard. Maybe, if she has time, she'll ride Sugar, her favorite horse, to the beach a mile away, for a breather. Nothing like hearing the ocean waves after a hectic workday, she muses.

Matilda looks at her watch: 5:40 a.m. In less than three hours the delivery boy will be here to pick up the eggs from her 25 chickens. Should be a good bunch, she calculates, so she might break even this month. The milk from her 15 cows, on the other hand, is not so promising. Well, she has till next week to see how much they can produce before that egg pick-up takes place. At least the wheat looks profitable this year--definitely not like last year, given the drought, followed by a fire, that ruined more than half of her crop. "I hope this winter is milder," Matilda wishes out loud, rubbing her calloused, wrinkled hands. Last year, the unprecedented amounts of ice and snow wiped out her entire vineyard. Granted, it was the first year that she undertook that endeavor, with hopes of a more profitable income overall, but it was disappointing nonetheless. So many hours she had spent, in humid sunshine and cold darkness, planting those grape vines. Well, maybe in five years they will have some bottles of Chardonnay to show for it. In the meantime, it's getting late, she realizes. The chickens are waiting, as are all the other chores piling up around the farm. And she just remembered how she wants to start sanding and staining all the hard-wood floors in her house! This endless perseverance and industriousness is exactly why Matilda and all the other farmers are worthwhile persons in more ways than a million!

You're a Worthwhile Person in More Ways Than a Million by Simeon Johnson: Get Your Copy Today in honor of Valuable Earth: http://www.JohnsonandJohnsonGift.com: http://www.amazon.com and http://www.barnes&noble.com

About the Author

Prolific author Simeon W. Johnson is a successful author of five books: an entrepreneur With a book and gift boutique: swjenterprises.com. A former Radio and television electronics technician... He received a master's certification in radio and TV electronics From National Technical Schools, Los Angeles, CA ... He also Earned his FCC First Class General Radio and Telephone License