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| Earth Day: “Invest in our planet” | | | Dr. Vikas Sharma; Proloy Sankar
The authors are from the Division of Biochemistry, FBSc, SKUAST-Jammu [email protected]. Every responsible citizen can contribute in a small and humble way to save the burning planet. Let us take a pledge this year on the auspicious eve of The World Earth Day, to volunteer to pick up trash at a nearby park, start a collection drive for recyclable items or organize a screening of an environmentally themed movie. By getting involved and working with others, we are not just helping the earth….we are making new friends too. Let us commemorate this year’s theme of the Earth Day by becoming a waste warrior, by planting a tree, by turning off street lights in day time and by limiting the water usage The Earth is a Fine Place and Worth Fighting for”.
Our planet is an amazing place, but it needs our help to thrive, that’s why each year more than a billion people celebrate Earth Day to protect the planet from things like pollution and deforestation. By taking part in activities like picking up litter and planting trees, we are making our world a happier, healthier place to live.
The Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by earth day.org (formerly Earth Day Network) including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries. The history of the day dates back to 1969, when, at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco, peace activist John McConnell proposed a day to honor the Earth and the concept of peace, to first be observed on March 21, 1970, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. A month later, United States Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed the idea to hold a nationwide environmental teach-in on April 22, 1970. He hired a young activist, Denis Hayes, to be the National Coordinator. Nelson and Hayes renamed the event; Earth Day;. Mc Connell originally had chosen the spring equinox (March 20, 1970), but Nelson chose April 22, which ended up becoming the official celebration date. Nelson was later awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom award in recognition of his work. Today, not only Earth day is meant to increase awareness of environmental problems, but it is also becoming a popular time for many communities to gather together to clean up litter, plant trees, or simply reflect on the beauty of nature. In 1990, Earth Day became a global event, mobilizing 200 million people to encourage environmental protection and get more serious about recycling.
According to the Earth Day Network, 1 billion people participate in Earth Day festivities each year in 192 countries. The impact of the very first Earth Day was huge. It led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, which still exists today and under its umbrella various environmental laws have been passed like the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act etc. Now, Earth Day is all about educating people about conservation, protesting against climate change and global warming and encouraging volunteering for the good of the planet. Every year people across the globe join together in order to raise awareness to acknowledge the global climate crisis which is alarming right now. This day is also known as International Mother Earth Day, this special day focuses on growing concerns of over population, loss of biodiversity and depleting quality of the environment. This day is an opportunity to bring millions to connect and discuss problems like pollution, deforestation and more.
People on this day participate in various discussions on topics such as climate and environmental literacy and schools and colleges conduct tree planting drives. As per the Earth Day Organization, the theme for Earth Day 2022 is “Invest in Our Planet”. The key point here is to act in a bold way, innovate in a broad way and implement in an equitable manner. Every responsible citizen can offer a lot to invest in the planet, The Mother Earth to save the planet. Here are some ideas in a nutshell that can be materialized to commemorate this year’s theme of the Earth Day.
Become a waste warrior: The number of garbage trucks, the growing world population, fill each year would stretch halfway to the moon. Toilet paper tubes, made from cardboard take two months to decompose in a landfill. Moreover plastic bottles can take 450 years to break down. Before we throw something in bins we should conceptualize, whether it can be recycled or repurposed. We can also limit waste by reducing the amount of things we buy. Plant a tree: Researchers estimate roughly 15 billion trees in the world are cut down each year, so offset that loss planting a tree of our own. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen for people to breath. Moreover they provide shade and can minimize the use of air conditioning.
Turn off the lights in day time: Electricity doesn’t just happen… it has to be produced from things around us. A lot of times it comes from fossil fuel which is the sole culprit for climate change. But, using various renewable sources of energy can foster our energy needs and at the same time sustain the climate and environment. No matter whatever is the source we should try to conserve electrical energy by judicious use of what we need.
Limit water usage: It might seem like it’s everywhere, but clean, drinkable water is a limited resource. In fact less than one percent of the water on the earth can be used by humans. By turning off water during brushing we can conserve up to eight gallons of water a day. |
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