September 22nd: National & International Days, Celebrations and Observances

On September 22, take part in several local actions that matter.

• Leave your car at home - try walking, cycling or catching a bus for World Car Free Day.
• A quick social media post about rhino numbers and threats can inform friends who might not know the facts.
• Learning a handful of basic signs opens up new conversations with deaf neighbors.
• Local shops run by women entrepreneurs keep money in our community - stop by and explore what they offer.
• The first day of fall gives a perfect excuse to notice changing leaves and cooler air.
• Look around your home or office - there's usually one eco-friendly switch that's easy to make.

A quick park cleanup with neighbors fits perfectly into Global Goals Week. And for those with flexible schedules, try sharing rides or working from home. Even one day makes a difference.

September 22nd stands out for two different engineering feats - one in Finland, one in America.

• Back in 1891, Tampere's local power company put the Tammerkoski Rapids to work. They set up two DC generators to turn rushing water into electricity. That same water-powered system still lights up Tampere homes today.
• The Bill Keene Interchange reshaped downtown Los Angeles in 1953. Engineers built the first four-level crossing to link US 101 and CA 110. At $5.5 million ($57 million today), this massive project helped create LA's sprawling network of freeways. Yet what seemed like pure progress then has sparked new thinking about sustainable city design.

September 22nd connects five pioneers who reshaped science and human rights.

• Michael Faraday started out simple - binding books in 1791. No one expected a self-taught book binder to master electromagnetics. Yet his experiments changed physics forever. People from all walks of life packed into London's Royal Institution, where his Christmas science talks made complex ideas clear.
• Attorney David Sive rewrote environmental protection in 1965. His win in the Scenic Hudson case meant conservation groups could finally challenge threats to nature in court. When he founded the Environmental Law Institute afterward, it gave defenders of wild places their first real legal toolbox.
• Junko Tabei. She kept going until she stood on Everest's summit in 1975 - the first woman to make it. She founded Japan's Ladies Climbing Club, then tackled the highest peaks across every continent. Her passion for mountains turned into a lifelong mission to protect them.
• Eric Baker's Quaker principles led to bigger things. Working with others in 1961, he started Amnesty International. His work made clear how environmental protection works hand in hand with basic human rights. Modern conservation still builds on his ideas.
• Physics earned Saul Perlmutter a Nobel Prize for showing the universe speeds up as it grows. Now at Berkeley, he creates new tools for climate scientists. His work helps turn complex climate data into practical environmental policies.