Earth Day Pictures: Quirky Ways to Mark the Day

2007: "Green" Gas Station

Photograph by Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

Petroleum giant BP hoped the drivers of these SUVs felt "a little better" about themselves on Earth Day after filling up at the firm's eco-friendly gas station, which opened April 22, 2007, in Los Angeles.

Although it serves up the usual fossil fuels, the station's Earth-saving features include a green roof, holding 90 solar panels, and landscapes planted with local greenery. The recyclable stainless steel canopy collects rainwater to irrigate the plants.

What's more, the inviting restroom is outfitted with sustainable bamboo walls and recycled glass tiles.

Published April 20, 2009

2005: World-Record Tree Planters

Photograph by Ron Wurzer, Nature Consortium/AP

Emanuel Torres (foreground) leads the charge to try and break the Guinness World Record for the most trees planted in an hour.

Torres and other students from Sanislo Elementary School in Seattle, Washington, joined forces with members of the Nature Consortium to get 1,800 trees into the ground. Combined with efforts at the same time in Atlanta and Detroit, the nationwide team aimed to break the previous record 4,100 trees, set by a U.K. group in 2003.

Published April 20, 2009

2005: Celebrities on Ice

Photograph by Natural Resources Defense Council/AP

Hollywood notables Salma Hayek and Jake Gyllenhaal joined more than a thousand Inuit people in traditional dress to form the image of an Inuit drum dancer amid the words "Arctic Warning" on a Canadian ice floe. The Earth Day 2005 stunt was meant to raise awareness about the effects of global warming on Arctic ice and the people who depend on it.

Four years later Arctic ice melt is continuing to make headlines. One recent study suggested the region's summer ice could be gone in 30 years--bad news for the Inuit and other northern ice dwellers.

Published April 20, 2009

2007: Cleaning Up a Thorny Problem

Photograph courtesy Reg Hernandez, Coral Reef Alliance/AP

Volunteers in an undersea cleanup party show off the invasive crown-of-thorns starfish they plucked from coral reefs in the southern Philippines on Earth Day 2007.

Populations of the coral-eating sea stars have increased dramatically in recent years, threatening reef habitats throughout the Indian and Pacific Oceans, conservationists say.

The sea stars have been encouraged by the weakening of reefs, caused by agricultural runoff and other factors. Also, the crown-of-thorns' natural enemies, such as tiger fish and giant triton mollusks, are overfished.

Published April 20, 2009

2005: Drilling Into Baked Alaska

Photograph by Business Wire via Getty Images

The Ben & Jerry's ice cream company served the world's largest baked alaska dessert on Earth Day 2005 to protest a bill in the U.S. Congress that would have opened up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. Served in front of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., the concoction of Fossil Fuel ice cream (including chocolate donosaurs and fudge swirls) and cake, topped with meringue, weighed 1,140 pounds (517 kilograms).

Environmental groups and oil interests remain entrenched in a debate over access to the Alaskan refuge, which is home to both sensitive wildlife and valuable minerals.

Published April 20, 2009

2008: Eco-Minded Travel

Photograph by Eric Risberg/AP

Traveler Dan Rich checks out the view of San Francisco from his "eco-suite" at the Fairmont Hotel on Earth Day 2008. The room's green amenities include a coffee table made with leather recycled from luxury vehicles, organic towels and robes, and a minibar stocked with local, organic wines and cheeses. At U.S. $869 (circa April 2008) a night, the suite also includes use of a "low emissions" Lexus luxury car.

The idea capitalizes on a growing eco-consciousness among travelers. Market research firm PhoCusWright recently reported that 44 percent of U.S. travelers consider environmental impact in their planning.

Published April 20, 2009

1970: Sidewalk Oil Spill

Photograph courtesy AP

On the first Earth Day in 1970, protesters left oil in their wake as they rallied against offshore drilling in front of the U.S. Department of the Interior building in Washington, D.C.

Earth Day was the brainchild of Wisconsin senator Gaylord Nelson, who was upset at the scant attention political leaders paid to environmental issues. In 1970 more than 20 million people participated in protests across the country.

As of 2009 more than a billion people around the world participate each year in Earth Day activities, according to the Earth Day Network.

See more Earth Day photo galleries.

Published April 20, 2009