Earth Day

Readers must be familiar with an annual global event called “Earth Day”. Earth day takes place on 22nd of April and this year, it will be its 50th anniversary. Before moving on further to its importance, let’s take a brief look at its history so that we can understand how this brilliant idea came up.

In the 1960s, the American economy was further flourishing and there were plenty of industries in the US. These industries emitted high concentrations of pollutants into the air. Furthermore, sludges were dumped into water bodies such as rivers and lakes, thus causing water pollution. People were not aware of the consequences that these industries and factories were leaving to the world’s environment. But, in 1969, things started changing as an unfortunate event occured. Fire broke across Cleveland’s Cuyahoga river and this was caused by a train which was carrying industrial goods. Rivers were left chemically polluted and citizens realized that things should change. Later in the same year, the idea of Earth day was announced by the Democrat of Wisconsin, whose name was Gaylord Nelson and the first Earth day took place on April 22, 1970.

So, from the history of Earth Day, we can understand that its goal is to increase awareness on the negative impact that humankind is leaving on the world’s environment and to encourage people to participate in preserving the Earth.

Well now that you know the origins of Earth Day, why should we participate in it? You might know our climate is getting worse day by day. Industrialization is rapidly expanding and wildlife are losing their homes due to deforestation. One of the most recent cases you’ve all heard of is the Australia wildfire, many animals lost their homes and a lot of people suffered from it. While the disaster may be caused by a natural phenomenon, researchers found out that the human-caused climate change intensifies the disaster and increases the chances for it to happen by 30%. By participating in Earth Day, we can reduce the impact caused by climate change, and in the process turn the earth into a more liveable place for us and generations to come.

Now, the important question arises. How can we make an impact in a situation where a huge number of the world’s population are residing at their homes to stay safe from coronavirus and prevent its spread? Well, we all know that “If there is a will there’s a way”. Firstly, we all have a powerful tool called “social media” which can be used to spread awareness. One can share interesting facts related to Earth Day, etc. For instance, in 2012, citizens in China used bicycles instead of motorbikes to commute so that emissions of CO2 can be reduced. Secondly, people can plant in pots at their homes as we know that plants release oxygen and absorb CO2,  a harmful gas which contributes to global warming.

Other efforts which can be done include turning the lights off if not used in order to save electricity. Consumption of electricity might be huge in the times of quarantine, thus we must do our best to reduce electricity consumption. Next, people can use reusable shopping bags instead of plastic bags which need a lot of oil and natural gas to create.

To sum things up, Earth Day serves as a constant reminder of how fragile our earth really is and how important it is for us to protect it. We shouldn’t take Earth Day as only a once in a year celebration where we contribute to our environment, take it as a reminder for us to continue promoting environmental awareness and to remind us that we can protect the earth in our everyday lives as well.

Writers: Naman Vohra, David Samuel Setiawan, Jehezkiel Axel Jordan

References:

Conserve Energy Future. (2020). 30 breathtaking reasons to switch to reusable bags. Retrieved from https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/30-breathtaking-reasons-to-switch-to-reusable-bags.php

Grambling, C. (2020, March 4). Australia’s wildfires have now been linked to climate change. Retrieved from https://www.sciencenews.org/article/australia-wildfires-climate-change

History. (2020, April 20). Earth Day 2020. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/earth-day

Motifblog. (2019, April 22). Outdoor photography ideas to celebrate Earth Day. Retrieved from https://www.blog.motifphotos.com/outdoor-photography-ideas-to-celebrate-earth-day/

Steele, M. (2018, April 22). Why is Earth Day important? Retrieved from https://ladysmithgazette.co.za/105702/earth-day-important/

Vangelinc. (2018, April 1). How Earth Day began and how it helps the planet. Retrieved from https://inhabitat.com/fascinating-earth-day-facts-that-you-may-not-know/