Tomorrow is Earth day. Did you notice?

The New York Times didn’t mention the fact in today’s edition of the paper. Neither did the Wall Street Journal. Nor did the Los Angeles Times, though it did have a short piece about German environmentalists and nuclear power in their coutry.

Come Earth Day itself, of course, some notice of the natural environment will be on view. Doubtless the Obama Administration will use the day to strike out against Republicans’ non-existent environment protecting policies. Perhaps Mr. Obama and/or Vice-President Biden will even put on a flannel shirt a la Bill Clinton and Al Gore, and do a photo opportunity in a national park.

In fairness, it must be pointed out that some specific efforts to protect the environment have, in fact, been taken by Mr. Obama and Company. As a major priority pursued aggressively, however, it seems to rank on the level of raising more campaign funds from Wall Street. Indeed, it might be ranked exactly at that level, because an emissions trading scheme that Wall Street firms love because they would be doing the emission trading deals has been this Administration’s most energetic environmental initiative.

Other things hardly worth looking forward to this coming Earth day include media coverage of school children picking up trash at local parks. Alternative energy companies will also probably sponsor fairs and kindred events that only demonstrate that this country is falling woefully behind nations like Germany and even China in effectively promoting natural, non-polluting, ever renewable energy resources.

If you’re old enough you might remember the first Earth Day in 1970, when tens of millions of Americans marched for more stringent laws to protect the environment — and national leaders hastened to respond. You might also remember that in 2000, the largest-ever gathering of world leaders in Rio de Janeiro collectively promised to make the natural environment and its protection their number one priority.

That was then. Today, more contemporary priorities are what the media chooses to highlight. Like how much the two likely presidential contenders are raising from PACs for the coming election.

And there the focus will doubtless remain. Unless a dreadful environmental disaster forces even the likes of Fox News to pay attention to the reality that we are part of the natural order.

On behalf of humanity, I hereby apologize effusively to Mother Earth. And beg Her not to respond to our selfish and utterly foolish provocations in ways we so richly deserve.