35th anniversary of Earth Day to be commemorated at UH Manoa with festivities honoring the Hawaiian tradition of malama ʻaina

The 35th anniversary of Earth Day will be celebrated at the University of Hawaii Manoa on Friday, April 22, 2005, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. with hands-on campus plantings and other activities, action-oriented teach-in sessions in the 44‘ geodesic Earth Dome, planet-friendly food and products, and local music, dance, poetry and speakers, all of which will be in keeping with the event theme of "Malama ʻAina: Living in Harmony," honoring the traditional Hawaiian practice of caring for and sustaining the physical and cultural environment.

The focus of the event is to educate about and advocate for protecting Hawaii‘s natural and cultural resources, and to offer on-the-spot opportunities to create the self-sufficient economy that is not only desirable and possible for Hawaii, but absolutely vital. Activities will be aimed at building grass-roots community, creating a Hawaiian sense of place on campus, supporting a sustainable economy, promoting diversified agriculture, and preserving cultural diversity.

Linda Day, Communications Coordinator for the UH Office of Sustainability, noted, "We live in a beautiful and remote oasis in the middle of the Pacific, but we are not immune to some of the serious issues looming in the world. Most of our energy comes from imported oil, the price of which reached a record high of $60 per barrel recently. As the planet‘s population approaches 7 billion, and China and India consume an increasing share of global resources, competition will intensify and prices will continue to rise. Our wisest strategy for economic security," Day added, "is to move toward providing for ourselves, much as the early Hawaiians did centuries before western contact, so we will continue to be nurtured regardless of what happens to resources worldwide."

Major sponsors are the UH Office of Sustainability and Honolulu Weekly. Supporters include KingDomes of Hawaii and Bob‘s Equipment.

The event is free and the public is welcome to attend. All-day parking is available for $3 in the UH Manoa Parking Structure off Dole Street.