Hello everyone! Hope you all have been doing well. It has been a long while since our last post and we apologize to those of you who missed us, because we sure missed you too! We have been very busy planning and preparing for the big changes that have been and will be happening at Envirowise in the near future and are excited to share them with you today!

The first big change is our new store manager, Rob! Rob joined us in January, and over the past several months he has been working hard to educate himself on all of our products and services so that he can help you out with any questions or concerns you may have when you are in the store. Be sure to go say hi and welcome him to the team!

We now have a brand new logo and we absolutely love it! Although we have had the same logo for many years, we knew it was time for a change as our company is always growing and evolving into bigger and better things! The new logo has many parts to it each meaning and symbolizing something that we believe in as a company. The circular shape represents globalization, as we plan to continue to grow to eventually share our products and services with customers all over the map. The green colour and the arrows represent our concern and care for the environment as we know that the simple things such as buying biodegradable products and recycling containers can make a big difference in the world.  Lastly, the laboratory flask symbolizes our continuous efforts in our research and development department. Our scientists are constantly developing greener, more effective strains to please you and the environment! Take a look at our new logo and let us know what you think!

Last, but definitely not least, we are MOVING! We are very excited to announce that as of July 1, 2013, we will be located at 710 Circle Drive (next to Hakim Optical and Battery Boys). It is going to be a busy month for us, but we are ready to begin serving you in a fresh new location! Make sure to mark your calendars so you can come see us when we open! In the meantime, we will still be at our 8^th street location while we get everything ready for the big move. Can’t wait for you to see it!

 Now that these changes are completed and underway, we can continue to entertain, educate, and answer any questions you may have for us on the expert blog. We hope you have a great day!

 Talk soonJ   

It's that time of the year when people like to spend a little extra time keeping their 'baby' clean and shiny - and we have some very nice products to help you with that task. We have had several inquiries in the last couple of weeks of what products we have to help you to clean your car, take off oil, and even clean your tires.  Here are a few helpful options for you.

Of course we have glass cleaner - in 3 different styles. See Thru is an alcohol base product that is similar to commonly purchased glass cleaners in other retail stores. Envirowise Glass & Surface Cleaner has no alcohol products in it  and is a 100% environmentally sustainable product.  Klear Vu is our aerosal foaming glass cleaner.  The right product for you is truly based on your preference.  They are all very effective products and very cost effective on your pocketbook!

One of our most popular products for interior cleaning is our Vinyl Sheen.  Unlike similar products on the market Vinyl Sheen does not require a precleaning of your dash and other interior features unless there is an excessive buildup.  One step cleaning and protection. Vinyl Sheen is a highly concentrate silicone based vinyl, leather and plastic restorer/protector/  It is effective in the way that it bonds to the surface and aids in the prevention of damage due to sunlight!  It is also very effective at repelling dust and dirt, while giving you a new shine look to your surfaces! This product is not only excellent for your interior but try it on your tires too!  Brings them back to black and is very effective at keeping the dust and dirt from attracting to them! And it has a very nice Cherry scent to make your vehicle smell very nice for several days after use as well!  One very notable result of the product is that you will see that is takes a lot longer to see dust settle back onto your dash other interior finishings - and even when it does a simple dusting can remove the dust easily and quickly!  You gotta check this one out!

Another life saver in the auto area is our Gum & Tar Remover.  The name is a little deceptive as it not only removes gum and tar but also oil, grime, adhesives, paint, grease, asphalt, shoe polish and even pen ink.  On hard surfaces simply wipe on and let stand for 5 minutes and wipe clean!  On carpet leave 5 to 10 minutes and use a putty knife to remove leftover residues.  And it is also very effective on many stains in carpet as well.  An awesome product unlike any other on the market.  Gum & Tar Remover can be used on the exterior of your vehicle as well to remove tar. oil, grease. and asphalt splashes or buildup.  Gum & Tar Remover should not be used on car paint that is less than 6 months old.  For new paint you need to move to another product that we have called Citrus Solv.

Citrus Solv is the next step up for the really nasty jobs to get adhesives, tar and oil off your car.  Citrus Solv use the power of natural citrus extracts to cut through tar, grease, and asphalt deposits - quickly penetrating, disolving and cleaning without the hazards associated with petroleu or chlorinated solvents. Special rinse additives allows for easy removal of deposits by water flushing. It is also very effective in removing sludge from oil tanks - and is even used by roofing and blacktop contractors to clean up tools, equipment, work areas and even over splashes!  This very powerful, all natural cleaner/degreaser is designed to dissolve, disperse and break down petroluem based products.  These potent, penetrating, dispersing and non-foaming emulsifying agents are combined with the incredible solvency of D'limonene - the natural extracts of citrus fruits!

One recent customer hit construction on a trip to the lake and hit a stretch of freshly oiled road between a mile or two long that he couldn't avoid!  His almost brand new white truck had lost a lot of color.  A detailing shop told him is was going to cost him almost $1,000 to get his truck clean.  He picked up a 4 litre jug of Citrus Solv and it took him less than 3 hours, half the jug and a garden hose and his truck looked brand new all over again! Citrus Solv is truly your answer for those nasty jobs with lots of buildup!  And don't be fooled by other similar named products that look the same and make the same claims - our customers tell us our beats all the others hands down!

BUGS!!  Yup!  What bigger problem do we face in the summer combined with a trip on the highway?  Nothing like baked on splattered bugs to ruin the look of your car or truck!  Or, if like me,  you park under those lovely trees that leave your car coated in those lovely sap drippings, try our Easy Kleen II Degreaser or Super 101 Degreaser.  If you are unsure of what you are doing or having the kids look after the job - use Easy Kleen II Degreaser as it is totally safe and they can't screw anything up if they get distracted in the middle of the job!  Ha! Like that would ever happen? Ha!  If you are doing the job yourself then go to Super 101 as it does have more guts to it - you just don't want to leave it dry on your vehicle or it can leave a film behind.  Just do one area at a time and rinse.  Both products are concentrated so you can mix it down based on how bad a job you are required to deal with. The heavier the layer of bugs - or the longer they have been left baking on there in the sun - the stronger solution you will need. If you are going through a car wash just get out just before you go in and spray down the affected areas - and then go through.  Again, the severity of the bugs depends on strength of product mix.

Great for wheel wells and rims too!  Just do one at a time and rinse off!  Super 101 is also fabulous for cleaning your tires too - without that magnetic attractive to dust and dirt on the first block you drive your vehicle!  And both Easy Kleen II and Super 101 are fabulous for getting to those stubborn buildups in the carpet or mats in your car too!  You will be amazed at how versitile these products are on both the interior and exterior of your vehicle. 

And of course don't forget about our Kleen Sheen - a fabulous car wash soap.  Designed to work in hot or cold water it cleans gently but effectively on all types of vehicles and finishes.  Safe to use for hand washing or with car wash equipment.  Kleen Sheen effectively cuts grime and road film, is safe to use on acrylic enamel and base coat/clear coat finishes.  It deeply penetrates to loosen road soils rapidly with minimum agitation and leaves a molecular layer of protection to help preserve the finish of the vehicle between washings and leaves a soft sheen without waxing. And of course it is 100% biodegradable with no problems with effluent or pollution of the environment! 

Got some nasty odours to deal with?  Someone smoke in your car? Pets have a little accident?  Whatever the issue Refresh is your answer in elimination of odours.  This is not a scent masker - it is a true biological product that truly goes to the source bacteria causing the odours and immediately encapsulates the bacteria and chokes off the odour to give you instant relief before breaking down the bacteria so it does not come back.  Refresh is a true odour remover even with pet urine smells! One customer recently came in and someone had been using his vehicle and smoked heavily in it.  He could not stand it!  One night he sprayed down the interior - everything cloth and carpet - even the sun visors and headliner - and left it overnight!  When he got into the car in the morning he was amazed as the whole car smells brand new - not even a hint of the previous occupant smoking.  But - a warning - depending on the problem odour - and the length of exposure - some jobs do require 2 or 3 repeats for complete removal of all odours.

And sorry - one of our most often asked questions - we do not have a car wax.  

Take your car cleaning to a new level with our very effective cleaning products. Come in and check them out today!

More than a million animals are killed each year trying to cross the road in the United States -- far more than just the proverbial deer in the headlights. Black bears, coyotes, bighorn rams, and panthers are among the frequent victims on American highways, and vehicle crashes are considered a major threat to the survival of 21 threatened and endangered species. Wouldn’t it be nice if someone would build something to help, like, say… a football-field-sized overpass covered with trees and other vegetation that would let wildlife safely cross a six-lane highway?

That’s exactly what a team of landscape architects, engineers, and ecologists have proposed for a stretch of Interstate 70 between Vail and Denver, Colorado, known as the West Vail Pass. Their wildlife bridge was selected last month in a competition sponsored by the Western Transportation Institute and the Woodcock Foundation to help reduce animal-vehicle collisions. Now it’s up to the Colorado Department of Transportation whether the $8 million project will be incorporated into its future building plans. OnEarth spoke with Robert Rock, a landscape architect with Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates in New York, about his team’s winning design.

Why are so many animals killed along I-70 in Colorado?
There are big stretches of protected habitat on each side of the highway. The interstate is sometimes called the Berlin Wall for wildlife. You have the White River National Forest on the south side and then a patchwork of wilderness and recreational areas to the north, plus the nearby ski resorts, so all kinds of animals -- coyotes, elk, mountain lions -- want to get from place to place. Canada lynx, which are a threatened species, have also been killed on the road. The surrounding area is becoming more developed, too, which is creating additional habitat fragmentation. But this isn’t just a problem in this one spot -- it’s a growing problem across the country. A lot of it has to do with humans encroaching on more and more habitat, but climate change is also affecting migration patterns. As ecosystems are disrupted, animals need to travel further to find places where they can survive, and that means crossing highways.

Everyone seems to think of "road kill" as some sort of punch line. Do you think we need to take this issue more seriously?
Definitely, because if I say, "Hey I want to build a bridge for animals," people think that sounds foolish. On the other hand, when everyone saw the "Miracle on the Hudson" -- a conflict between a single airplane taking off in New York and some Canada geese -- they started taking bird strikes much more seriously. But that was just one interaction. Granted, in a single instant, it affected 200 people, and it could easily have killed them all. But the economic impact of animal migration to the airline industry comes to only $600 million a year as opposed to the $8 billion from road collisions. And this is not to diminish the safety threat from bird strikes, but animal-vehicle crashes happen so much more often and have much more economic impact. It’s ongoing, so there’s not the shock value, but it’s still a huge problem, not some fringe issue.

How do you design something that you can be sure animals will use? Will they be aware that they’re crossing a bridge?
It’s designed more to be a trail of breadcrumbs for them. The crossing itself will be very knitted into the surrounding woodland. It’s a 190 by 336 foot vaulted concrete overpass -- about the size of a football field -- but it will be planted with a sampling of native species -- so it will be like the surrounding habitat zone, but really heavily treed, heavily vegetated. From the animals’ perspective, they’ll just see the plant species they dwell and forage in. There will be bands of open meadow with some fescue grasses and sedges, then shrubs and trees -- sub-alpine fir and lodgepoll pine, and of course some aspen, so in the fall there will be that beautiful yellow dappling the landscape. The difference is that there will be acres worth of habitat hyper-concentrated into the crossing.

So it would be like a big buffet for them?
Yes, we do expect them to be drawn by the food sources, but we’ll also have fencing along the highway that will funnel them to the crossing. That will be a key element. And we’ll be able to build that fencing with trees killed by the mountain pine beetle which has infested the area due to warmer temperatures caused by climate change.

Would people driving under the wildlife bridge notice the difference between this and a normal overpass?
They should. It will be overpass-like in a way because the part they will see on the underside will be concrete, but the structure is made up of curved pieces that will fit together in a simple, origami-like pattern.

You know you're in Saskatchewan when the rain comes on the weekend!!  Especially the long weekend! Ha! Ha! But we know how it works so it's hard to find it too surprising!

But, when the weathers nice, the BBQ is smoking, and you're planning that gettogether with family, friends, co-workers, or even that staff party for work or community organization you're involved in ... make sure that you don't leave us a reminder of the event for the next 200 years!!

Taterware is your ideal solution!  Taterware is actually made from potato!  Seriously!  And you will be amazed on how good the products work out for you!  The cultery is fabulous and not only will your fork last the whole meal ... you can wash it and use it again!! Talk about sturdy.  Not like the plastic options out there.  And best yet it is totally biodegradable!  We have Taterware plates in 6" and 9", knives, spoons and forks.  In addition we have Taterware Earth Cups which are standard paper cups but instead of a petroleum based coating to seal the cup they use a vegetable base coating - now making it biodegradable instead of taking it's place in the landfill for the next 200 years!

Most of these items come in cases of 1,000 which makes it very ineffective for most people and their events so we at Envirowise have taken it to the next step to make it more realistic for more people to use Taterware!  We break up the cases and have prepackaged all the products into groups of 25.  So you can now purchase any amount of product in any multiple of 25.  We have package pricing that puts everything into a picnic kit that includes your 9" plate, knife, fork and spoon, a 100% recycled napkin and of course a oxi-degradable garbage bag for cleaning up the mess afterwards.  Want extras?  No problem just call ahead and they will package any combination of whatever you like!  It's all for the benefit of Mother Earth!

Additional items are available in biodegradable as well well.  There are cold water cups too!  We just don't carry everything in the store - just the items that people have requested from us previously.  But if there is something specific that you need - give us a call and we will see what we can do.

Just say NO to using petroleum based paper products and styrofoam products this summer season.  Check out the biodegradable line of Taterware food services products today!!

And if you read this and are in the store in the next couple of days ... make sure you wish Carol a Happy Belated 29th Birthday!!!  Ha!

First off, not every pick on our list is indeed a "place," per se. One is actually a scientific phenomenon, while another is considered a massive living organism home to more than 1,500 fish species and nearly 3,000 individual coral reefs. Several are wide-open spaces, but a few are brick-and- mortar sites built for kings (and in one case, a queen). Three have been included on the listing of the Seven Natural Wonders; three were also selected for the listing of the New 7 Wonders of the World. But no matter how you slice and dice them, all 10 have something important in common: Sometimes, it is all about what pleases the eye. Here's our list of the World's Prettiest Places.

Plitvice Lakes National Park
Croatia

It's largely unknown to North American tourists, and perhaps that makes it even more precious. The limestone caves of the Plitvice Lakes National Park make the water of its 16 lakes and a handful of waterfalls shimmer brilliant shades of turquoise, silver and green. And to get a better view the lakes' beauty, you'll find a web of wooden plank walkways scattered throughout. But note that there is no true best or worst season to stop by this site in central Croatia. Snow and ice transforms the area into a winter wonderland; in summer the surrounding trees further enhance the hues of the lake water. If at all possible, though, avoid the onslaught of local tourists in July and August.

(Photo: rosa-amato/Flickr)

Taj Mahal
India

Molded out of red sandstone and white marble and sparkling with the glint of semi-precious stones, this mausoleum of northeastern

India needs no justification to appear on our list. Frommer's says, "It's not just the perfect symmetry, the ethereal luminescence, the wonderful proportions, or the sheer scale," that makes us revere the Taj Mahal. It's also "the exquisite detailing covering every inch of marble that justifies it as a wonder of the world." Its amorous background also feeds our admiration: It was commissioned by a 17th century Mughal emperor to honor the memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Consider planning a trip for sometime between October and March to behold Taj's majestic domes, chambers and minarets; that way the weather will be somewhat cooler for walking around. If you have time, stay from the early morning until the late night, as "the radiance of the Taj under the moonlight is beyond any explanation," notes TajMahal.org.uk.

(Photo: kevin.j/Flickr)

The Great Barrier Reef
Australia

Australia's luscious islands, cays and coral reef system of the Great Barrier Reef are awesome in scope and visuals -- in fact, this reef covers

more of the world than any other entry on our list (approximately 215,000 square kilometres; the only living thing visible from outer space). All who encounter even a small portion of this gorgeous giant are dazzled by its aquamarine waters and honeycomb beaches. Even more beauty awaits you below the water surface: a maze of more than 2,900 spectacular coral reefs and countless marine life. Come to this area just off the coast of Queensland between June and October, so you can avoid the worst of Australia's oppressive heat.

(Photo: Courtesy of Tourism Australia)

Borobudur
Indonesia

The true origins of this impressive Buddhist monument, located in central Java, are somewhat disputed. According to the UNESCO World Heritage website the Borobudur temple was founded by a Saliendra dynasty king sometime between 750 and 842 A.D. Still, you don't need a definitive his tory lesson to fully appreciate its grandeur. Just feast your eyes on its intricately sculpted gray-stone relief panels (slats of stone carved with artwork to depict the life of Buddha) and the perfectly symmetrical stupas (mound-shaped structures containing Buddhist relics). They're even more precious due to their resilience: Borobudur is still gorgeous despite nearby bombings and volcanic eruptions. Try to visit in May; that's when the air is supposedly the cleanest in Java. And plan your trek at sunrise or sunset to witness how the light catches the stupas' perforations.

(Photo: Thrillseekr/Flickr)

Grand Canyon

USA

The astonishing depths and incredible sunsets of the Grand Canyon make it a shoe-in on this list. Plus you can enjoy the scenery while you work up a sweat, hiking the rigorous Bright Angel Trail or rafting the Colorado River. As President Theodore Roosevelt famously noted, this park is "one of the great sights which every American, if he can travel at all, must see." Many take Teddy up on his word -- so if you want to explore this northern Arizona park, we suggest you avoid the staggering crowds of the summer. Consider visiting between March and May or September and November, when the weather is pleasant and the lodging rates are reasonable.

(Photo: Fundenberg/Flickr)

The Palace of Versailles

France

The Palace of Versailles might have had humble beginnings, but times have changed. Now, this ain't no simple hunting lodge, but rather an

opulent tribute to the former French monarchy. Highlights include the reflective Hall of Mirrors, where world leaders met to sign the 1919 treaty that ended World War I; the manicured French-style gardens, which prominently feature the iconic Bassin d'Apollon (fountain) and the verdant Orangerie garden; and the Petit Trianon, a smaller chateau gifted to the infamous Marie Antoinette by her husband, King Louis XVI. Early summer is idyllic in the Île-de-France region, so plan your sojourn for that season. That's also when you'll find a few music concerts and special events taking place in the Versailles gardens.

(Photo: jasonb42882/Flickr)

Machu Picchu
Peru

Machu Picchu's 12 acres of mysterious temples and exquisite terraces are perpetually shrouded in cloud tufts, proving that this ancient site   of Peru's Urubamba Valley still lives up to its reputation as the "Lost City of the Incas." Or at least it seems like it from the pictures. In reality, this ancient city is always overrun with hikers exploring the Inca Trail or catching the view from the Temple of the Sun. So come with plenty of camera film and patience. For fewer crowds -- though not by much -- visit between October and April.

(Photo: Allard Schmidt/Wikimedia Commons)

The Great Temple of Ramses II

Egypt

During his 67-year reign, Pharaoh Ramses II left many visual reminders of his

greatness. Perhaps the best known are the four larger-than-life statues carved into a mountainside of southern Egypt. Many don't realize there's more to this site -- sometimes called Abu Simbel for the town you'll find it in -- than those seated statues seated on the facade. Pass through them and you'll find more detailed statues and intricate hieroglyphs depicting the Egyptian army's victory over ancient Libya, Syria and Nubia. Next door is the smaller Temple of Nefertari, dedicated to the Pharaoh's favorite wife. If you truly want to be wowed, you should swing by Abu Simbel around Feb. 20 or Oct. 20. Twice a year around those days the sun's rays shine directly into the larger temple to illuminate the artwork and statues within.

(Photo: Mrs Logic/Flickr)

The Great Wall
China

Myth: The Great Wall of China can be seen from outer space (with the naked eye). Fact: it is pretty fantastic to view up

close and personal. It sweeps through approximately 6,500 km of northern China, and different sections guarantee different tourist experiences: The jungly sections of Simatai and Jinshanling are good for hiking; the arresting and gorgeous Mutianyu stretch is good for snapping photos; and the crowded Badaling portion is good for convenience (it's only an hour away from exciting Beijing). Plan your trip for anytime (just imagine the contrast of the Great Wall with the white snow of winter, the red leaves of fall and the green grass of spring and summer), but do try to bypass the hordes of tourists that visit on the weekends year-round.

(Photo: firepile/Flickr)

The Northern Lights
Arctic Circle

This scientific phenomenon occurs when charged solar particles collide in the earth's geomagnetic field and create a colorful, magnificent glow in the

sky's upper atmosphere. According to the Huffington Post, "ideal viewing conditions are crisp, cold, clear and cloudless skies with little light." And though it is possible to see the Northern Lights in other parts of the globe, this phenomenon is most prevalent in the world's polar regions; the name Aurora Borealis refers to the lights as seen from northern latitudes (Aurora Australis is the name for the lesser-known Southern Lights of the South Pole). For the best viewing, Fodor's recommends visiting Anchorage,

Alaska or Calgary, Alberta. You can also see the Northern Lights in parts of Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Russia, among other countries.

(Photo: Beverly & Pack/Flickr)

Here we are back to spring once again - anyways we hope it is here to stay now! Ha!  We have a lot of products to help you get the job done fast and stay environmentally friendly.

Now that doors are open and windows ajar - lots of people think about doing that full house cleanup to clear out the cobwebs and refresh your home environment.  New All Purpose Cleaner is a higher pH product that is absolutely fabulous for general cleanup on everything but your floors.  For flooring you always want to keep to a neutral pH.  But New All Purpose Cleaner is awesome on your walls to get rid of all those marks and any kind of buildup.  Smokers in the house? You'll love what this product does to clean up that film created by cigarette smoke on the walls and ceilings - and the product works harder than you have to!  This can also be used in the bathroom on your sink, counter, toilet - inside and out, and bathtub or shower. And it leaves a very nice and lightly refreshing citrus scent in the air that smells of clean!

For the outside of your house, especially if you are near higher traffic streets, and get road splash or lots of dirt kicked up in the air that seems to just coat your home or garage.  Check out our Easy Kleen II degreaser.  A very safe and easy to use product - and concentrated so it goes a long way for your money.  Mix it with water in a pump up sprayer and lightly cover your hard nonporous surfaces.  Leave it sit for 3 to 5 minutes and then wash it off with your garden hose or pressure washer.  You'll be amazed at the results.  Really heavy buildups may require a heavier concentration or sometimes a brushing as well but try the easy way first.

And don't forget we have all kinds of other products available from window cleaners to floor soaps, car wash and interior cleaner to engine degreasers, to air freshners to freshen up that cabin closed up all winter or musty basement - whatever your cleanup task - we have the product to help you get the job done right the first time.

Stop in at the store and talk with Carol or one of our friendly staff who can help you find the right solution for your cleaning problems today.

Your home is plugged into nature. Nearly 60 per cent of the energy used by Canadian homes is directly related to heating. Even though we think we're becoming more energy conscious, this figure is actually rising because the size of the homes we build has been steadily increasing since the 1950s.

Depending on which province you live in, electricity comes from burning fossil fuels, hydro-electric dams or nuclear power plants. Each of these has environmental consequences — from air pollution and global warming to habitat loss and nuclear waste.

Come on Canada, it's time to kick our bad habits and get into shape!

• Check walls, doors and windows for drafts and seal them up — up to 40 per cent of heat loss is from these areas. (Don't know how? Check out this video.

• Insulate everywhere — the roof, floors, walls, basements. It'll keep you cool in the summer and toastier in the cold seasons.

• Any electronic gizmo that has a clock, digital timer, remote control or standby mode is sucking energy when it's not being used (it's called 'phantom electricity' — and it's scary how much of it there is). If you're not using them, unplug them.

• Set up a 'charging station' for equipment that needs charging — plug everything into a power bar and turn that off until you actually need to charge something.

• Switch to compact fluorescent (CFL) or LED light bulbs. They're 75 per cent more efficient than conventional bulbs.

• If you're buying a home, be sure it meets R-2000 standards (which means it will use two-thirds of the energy of a conventional home). R-2000 costs a little more up-front, but in the long run, the design saves money on utility bills and boosts resale value.

• Choose Energy Star appliances — they're way more efficient than their ancestors. A new refrigerator, for example, uses 40 per cent less energy than a model produced before 1993 (AND saves you still more cash on utilities).

• Whenever you shop for electronics of any kind, tell sales staff you are looking for energy efficiency. The more people demand, the more pressure there is for companies to supply.

• Think twice before you buy any electronic toys and gadgets. Even though lots of us choose more efficient models, home energy use is actually increasing just because we keep loading up on more electrical devices!

• Go for a walk instead of watching TV or booting up your computer. It'll do you and the whole planet a lot of good.

By Gabriel Perna | Apr 22, 2011 04:29 PM EDT

Since 1970, Earth Day has raised awareness on some of the most important environmentally critical issues, from recycling to global warming. It's grown from being a small grassroots campaign centered in American cities to a global celebration that crosses continents.

Earth Day has helped the "Green Movement" immensely, but more than just raising awareness, Earth Day has always been an appreciation of the planet's natural beauty.

To help appreciate that beauty, NASA has released a series of photos, most of which were taken from satellites in space, of the planet's vast natural wonders. Here are 10 of the best.

The Nile River Delta, taken from this photo in the International Space Station looks like a brilliant, long-stemmed flower in this photograph of the southeastern Mediterranean Sea. The lights show the populated areas.

Source: NASA Date:04/22/2011

The relatively placid view from the International Space Station belies the potent forces at work in Hurricane Earl as it hovered northeast of Puerto Rico

Source: NASA Date:04/22/2011

Cloudless skies allowed a clear view of dust and hydrogen sulfide plumes along the coast of Namibia in early August 2010. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this natural-color image.

Source: NASA Date:04/22/2011

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite GOES-13 captured this image of Hurricane Danielle heading for the north Atlantic (top center), Hurricane Earl with a visible eye hitting the Leeward Islands (left bottom) and a developing tropical depression 8 (lower right).

Source: NASA Date:04/22/2011

The Ouachita Mountains in southeastern Oklahoma are part of the only major mountain region between the Rockies and the Appalachians. Here they are captured by ASTER, one of five Earth-observing instruments launched aboard NASA's Terra satellite on Dec. 18, 1999.

Source: NASA Date:04/22/2011

The Lena River, some 2,800 miles long, is the easternmost of the three great Siberian rivers that flow into the Arctic Ocean and is one of the largest rivers in the world.

Source: NASA Date:04/22/2011

West Antarctica's massive Pine Island Glacier is seen out the window of NASA's DC-8 research aircraft as it flies at an altitude of 1,500 feet, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009.

Source: NASA Date:04/22/2011

This satellite image is off the east coast of New Zealand, cold rivers of water that have branched off from the Antarctic Circumpolar Current flow north past the South Island and converge with warmer waters flowing south past the North Island.

Source: NASA Date:04/22/2011

This astronaut photograph taken from the International Space Station shows the Calabria region of southern Italy--the toe of Italy's "boot"--outlined by the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas to the southeast and northwest, respectively.

Source: NASA Date:04/22/2011