is past president of San Diego Veterans For Peace. He lives in Scripps Ranch.
This year, Earth Day was significant in two important ways. April 22 marked the observance of the 51st annual Earth Day when people again focused efforts to help save our planet, and we heard of the many ways to change our habits, including using less plastic and fewer paper towels, changing to better light bulbs, switching to electric cars, and even lessening our reliance on animal proteins and going vegan.
It was also the 50th anniversary of John Kerry’s congressional testimony about the Vietnam War. Kerry, who is now the U.S. special presidential envoy for climate, was a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War and received three Purple Hearts, the Bronze Star and a Silver Star for his service and his courage. However, he became a vocal critic of the war upon his return to the States, culminating with his congressional appearance and indictment of U.S. war policy.