Earth Day is an annual event that is celebrated on April 22nd to raise awareness about the urgency of the climate crisis and environmental degradation. This day has been celebrated since 1970 and this year more than 1 billion people are participating in activities around the world to encourage everyone to start making change! The theme for this year is: Restore our Earth.
Due to the pandemic, this year Earth Day will be hosted online, coinciding with the Biden administration’s climate summit which will also be live-streamed. This year there are five primary programs: The Canopy Project, Food and Environment, Climate Literacy, the Global Earth Challenge, and The Great Global CleanUp.
How Can We Restore Our Earth?
Restoring our Earth is about reducing the impact that we have on the planet but also on ways that we can repair ecosystems. Are you wondering how this will be possible? Well, with 10 hours of scheduled programming you will be able to listen to a range of amazing speakers discuss emerging technologies that will restore ecosystems.
What Has Earth Day Achieved In The Past?
The first Earth Day in 1970 saw an astonishing 20 million people which is around 10% of the US population at the time and within a year of these demonstrations it led to the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency. It also led to the introduction of the Clean Water & Air Acts legislation as well as the Endangered Species Act.
Earth Day in 2010 launched a campaign to plant one billion trees and this was achieved by 2012! In 2016, 175 countries united to sign the Paris Agreement on Earth Day. This international pact aims to keep global warming below 2C.
How Can I Celebrate Earth Day?
- Plant some colourful fresh new flowers in your back garden to attract pollinating creatures such as butterflies and bees. Believe it or not bees keep the world moving around! Pollen from flowers and plants sticks to their bodies and as they move around they fertilise plants to produce fruits, vegetables etc.
- Clean Up Plastic – go to your local park or beach and collect as much plastic as possible. You can even turn this into a game for children and the child with the most plastic wins the game!
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – there are an endless amount of benefits if you stick to these 3R’s. To name a few: saves energy, saves money, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, more sustainable for the environment, less pollution.
- Food Packaging – think twice before purchasing food in plastic packaging. Did you know that Love Yourself meals come in recyclable and compostable packaging? Make the switch and try out the Love Yourself experience to play your part in restoring the earth!
Personally, I think Earth Day is the perfect day to start educating yourself about the world we live in.
How will you take part in World Earth Day?
By Pooja Depala