Publisher’s Corner
The Healthy Planet is 11 Earth Days Old!
Earth Day is April 22 and the St. Louis Earth Day Festival
will be held April 20 on the grounds of the Muny in Forest
Park. We encourage all 90,000 Healthy Planet magazine readers
to attend. The way things have been going GREEN lately, I
suspect Earth Day will enjoy a record crowd.
It was 11 Earth Days ago that The Healthy Planet magazine
first appeared in St. Louis. The festival was held in Tower
Grove Park back then. A 45-year-old publishing journeyman
stood behind a table stacked with fledgling issues of St.
Louis’ first Natural Living magazine. Knowing virtually
no one except the gracious Earth Day Festival directors, the
bearded man hawked his publication to a friendly crowd. Those
were the days of great anxiety, debt, doubt and yet idealistic
hope. How could conservative St. Louis embrace such a radical
magazine. Filled with articles about acupuncture, recycled
plastic decking, therapeutic massage, aromatherapy, healthy
foods, solar and wind power, and alternative healing ... how
would people take these types of “alternative”
topics? Well, 11 years later I think we know the answer to
that question. All those “alternative” topics
we covered in the very first issue of The Healthy Planet are
today part of the growing mainstream consciousness. Do we
still have a long way to go? Of course, but we have at least
climbed a big hill and can see the horizon. Our first issue
was 16 pages back in 1997. This current issue of The Healthy
Planet is 52 pages. We have grown in readership, stewardship
and responsibility. As St. Louis’ voice for Natural
Living and Environmental News, we invite everyone to join
us in our ongoing quest to help St. Louisans become more earth-friendly,
healthier and more socially responsible. Over the years we
have provided health, wellness and environmental articles
and resources in order to provide a balanced approach to creating
a healthier lifestyle. Other cities have spiritual newspapers,
and now some green magazines, but few offer the unique holistic
approach The Healthy Planet provides by completing the circle
of healthy living and a healthy planet. Our magazine has grown
because of our committed staff, our unique writers, our loyal
advertisers and our ever increasing readers over the past
11 years. There is a movement going on. A bit more subtle
than the movements of the 60s when we marched with flowers
in our hair. But there is a Green consciousness evolving that
affects us all. Yes, global warming is real. And yes we need
to find new answesr for our energy needs. Big companies and
little entrepreneurs are working hard to create the answers
we need for the future. And all of us need to take more responsibility
to both educate ourselves about what we can do to help...
and then doing it. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle... and Rethink the
way you live your life. You can start your quest by attending
the Earth Day Festival April 20 in Forest Park. And of course,
keep reading The Healthy Planet magazine. We are here for
you each and every month, bringing you the information you
need to create a better life!
11 Years and Growing Greener,
J.B. Lester, Publisher
