This coming Saturday (March 20) is the first day of spring, also known as the vernal equinox. At least that's true in the northern hemisphere; south of the equator it's the first day of autumn which makes it the autumnal equinox.

In many places north of the equator we're beginning to see the first stirrings of springtime renewal:  trees are starting to bud and blossom, early spring flowers are pushing up through the soil and showing their colors, and the sun seems to shine a little brighter. Even the wind and rain seem warmer.

The first day of spring also coincides with the first of two annual Earth Day celebrations, one at the vernal equinox and the other on April 22. Maybe we should just consider it a monthlong environmental extravaganza.

• The First Day of Spring: Fun Facts About the Vernal Equinox
• The History and Evolution of Earth Day
• What is Earth Day?
• When is Arbor Day?

Canada is trading in its paper currency for plastic. No, not credit cards, actual plastic money.

Sometime late in 2011, the Bank of Canada will replace the nation's traditional cotton-and-paper bank notes with currency made from a synthetic polymer. Canada will purchase its plastic money from a company in Australia, one of nearly two dozen countries where plastic currency is already in circulation.

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U.S. President Barack Obama yesterday laid out the details of his new HOMESTAR program, nicknamed "Cash for Caulkers," which would provide on-the-spot government rebates to homeowners who make their homes more energy-efficient by installing new windows, doors, insulation and other materials from an approved list.

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A massive earthquake occurred off the coast of Chile early this morning, killing dozens of people, causing buildings, bridges and highway overpasses to collapse, knocking out telephone, electricity and water services in many cities, and raising tsunami warnings all along the Pacific Rim, as far away as New Zealand, Japan and California.

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