Over 4,000 volunteers reportedly celebrated Earth Day 2011in Oakland by--what else--cleaning and beautifying parts of our city. One busy corner was Jingletown, where community members turned out to clean and beautify the streets--and those gorgeous murals. See the photos, thanks to Russ Osterweil:

One year ago, BP's Deepwater Horizon exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 workers and beginning over 100 days of the worst oil spill in US history. Despite this clear warning, we remain deeply dependent on fossil fuels, which poses a dire threat to our communities and environment.

In a city full of environmentally-conscious individuals, it's no surprise Oakland has a plethora of ways to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22. Many of the events take place this weekend.

Today is the last day of the People's World Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth. For some reason, my body decided to wake me up early today, even before the dogs and the roosters. Perhaps it was so I would have enough time to do the usual (shower, eat, pack for the day, get a bus), but also to write you. I haven't written for three days, I think.