Anyone remember the first Earth Day, April 22, 1970? Yeah, me neither. A look back on Time.com notes that some reached a quick decision about the true meaning of the day since it also marked the 100th birthday of Lenin. The magazine quotes a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, saying, “Subversive elements plan to make American children live in an environment that is good for them.”

Not to be outdone, a group of college students condemned a Chevrolet to death for poisoning the air.

Honestly, I wouldn’t have remembered this year’s Earth Day either, if it weren’t for a press release received days before from Home Depot touting its new eco-friendly labeling program. As part of the launch, Big Orange would give away 1 million compact florescent lights on Earth Day.

In the spirit of things, California Gov. Arnold Swarzenegger appeared on that night’s episode of MTV’s “Pimp My Ride” to promote a car that runs on biodiesel.

While there’s plenty of marketing silliness masquerading as concern here, there’s still plenty of marketing momentum around green building that can’t be denied. Just three years ago, only a quarter of Americans told a Gallup Poll that they were worried about climate change; a recent Gallup Poll put the number at more than 40 percent.

More people are reading about how to save energy and otherwise leave a smaller carbon footprint. Fighting Islamo-fascism is the new Arab Oil Embargo. More people want to clean up the indoor air maybe even more than the outdoor air in order to combat chemicals in carpet and furniture and other building materials. Formaldehyde is the new smog.

This year’s Radiant Heating Report takes a look at a few ways the radiant/hydronic heating industry fits in perfectly for consumers looking for modern, efficient, eco-friendly warmth.