Monica Moritsch, 19, a UC Berkeley sophmore, was in Sproul Plaza on Earth Day to call attention to the hazards of plastic bags.

It’s the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and there are a handful of events to celebrate the milestone.

The Ecology Center, the folks who bring us our farmers’ markets and pick up our recyclables, also turns 40 today. The Center is hosting itself a birthday bash in the Hotel Shattuck in downtown Berkeley. Mayor Tom Bates, State Senator Loni Hancock, Assemblymember Nancy Skinner, and Dennis Katz, the co-founder of the Rainbow Alliance, will speak. Country Joe McDonald will perform a mini-concert.

The City of Berkeley will host a celebration in Martin Luther King Park on Saturday from noon until 5 pm. There will be music, demonstrations of biodiesel and electric cars, solar power, a climbing wall, and food, craft and community booths.

UC Berkeley is sponsoring a clean-up of Strawberry Creek from 10 am to 1 pm in the Grinnell Nature Area.

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Frances Dinkelspiel, Berkeleyside and CItyside co-founder, is a journalist and author. Her first book, Towers of Gold: How One Jewish Immigrant Named Isaias Hellman...