My Case Against Earth Day

So I guess today is Earth Day, which has a largely positive connotation. Save the planet, take public transportation, go green, all that shit. The problem I have is that it's like a Get Out of Jail Free Card. I took BART into the city today to do some stuff and check things out. I got out of my car at the parking garage and saw a family getting out of a Mercedes SUV to do their part. Way to set the example, Mom. Everywhere I looked, people had shirts, signs, and whatever else they could find to spread the message. All the slogans were green-themed and Earth friendly. I'm all for the surface value of these messages, but the fact is there are people who wait for this day in particular to make an attempt at creating a difference. It doesn't mean their efforts are pointless or without merit, it just means they wait to perform positive actions on this one day to feel like they are part of some 24 hour movement. It would make more sense to me to have a Fuck Earth Day. Let's turn the tables around. Think about it. Fuck Earth Day. This would presume the idea that for the entire year minus one day, the world, and especially Americans, would be making a concerted effort to reduce those actions that harmfully impact our planet. Let's just pretend we could ever pull that off. If we could actually do that, then having a Fuck Earth Day would be super. It would mean that we've been protecting the Earth for the whole year and for one day we can let loose a little. There'd be no guilt about leaving the air conditioner on all day or leaving kitchen appliances plugged in when they aren't being used and all the other small things that could make a difference on a large scale. Unfortunately, our priorities are turned all around. We obliterate the planet year round while pretending not to realize it, then turn around and pat ourselves on the back for a day because we took our own tote bag to the grocery store (which we still drove to in our gas powered car) rather than double bag our food with plastic. Yeah, hooray for us. Everyone is so proud of themselves for doing one good deed for one day of the year. Personally, I vote for Fuck Earth Day.