Grist: A Few “choice” thoughts on Earth Day.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 20, 2009

Grist’s “Screw Earth Day!” Campaign Stirs Debate Among Environmental Community

Grist Urges Public to Make Every Day Earth Day with Free Download of ‘Wake Up and Smell the Planet’ and Sweepstakes for Free Trip to Bonnaroo Music Festival

SEATTLE, WA — Grist’s irreverent Screw Earth Day! campaign has inspired a fresh look at the annual Earth Day celebration as its 39th anniversary approaches. The promotion has sparked lively debate on numerous blogs and websites, stirring up feelings throughout the environmental movement.

Grist, the nation’s leading online source for environmental news and information, launched the Screw Earth Day! campaign on April 9 to underscore the importance that one day of action each year is not sufficient to address the pressing needs threatening our warming globe.

“In many cases, Earth Day has been reduced to a sort of planetary sound bite,” said Chip Giller, founder and CEO of Grist. “Well, we think that bites. Our campaign is sending the message that it’s time to wake up and smell the planet: the environmental challenges of today require us to treat every day as an Earth day. One day is for amateurs.”

Grist has published a special editorial series, “Does Earth Day Really Matter?”, that explores the green movement’s conflicted feelings over Earth Day. And Grist has rolled out — as a special treat — a new series of Ask Umbra videos on Grist.org that are sure to make Earth Day blush.

Grist is encouraging new users to sign up for daily and weekly news updates by providing two compelling incentives: a free download of its popular, award-winning book Wake Up and Smell the Planet: The Non-Pompous, Non-Preachy Grist Guide to Greening Your Day; and a free trip for two (including round-trip airfare, full festival passes and carbon offsets) to Bonnaroo, the popular music and arts festival that has a long-standing commitment to sustainability.

To download a free copy of Wake Up and Smell the Planet and enter the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival sweepstakes, register at http://www.grist.org/screwearthday or www.screwearthday.com.

About Grist
With a fresh spin on environmental news and views, Grist informs, inspires, and links America’s next generation of green citizens. Founded in April 1999, Grist has developed the most recognizable voice in environmental journalism: funny, opinionated, and intelligent. Grist offers in-depth reporting, news analysis, opinions, and practical advice — all tailored to inform, entertain, provoke, and encourage its users to think creatively about environmental problems and solutions.

Each month, Grist reaches more than 800,000 unique individuals through its website and e-mails, and it has enjoyed particular success among readers in their 20s and 30s. Through partnerships with major media outlets such as MSN, The Huffington Post, The Washington Post, and Yahoo!, Grist is reaching an even broader audience that extends into the millions. Grist has been featured in The New York Times, Newsweek, Time, Vanity Fair, and dozens of other major media outlets worldwide, and was recently ranked as a top green website by both Time and The London Guardian.