Ritu Singh
Earth Day is the day we celebrate our beautiful planet and pledge to protect it. Our amazing planet is constantly being ravaged by human activities and we seem to have forgotten that this is our home. Over the centuries we have mercilessly utilized and depleted the Earth’s resources and thus as a result we have to face Earth`s wrath. This day is a wake up call to enforce some action and bring about a change.
This day is a clarion call for all of us to make meaningful commitments towards change and protect Mother Earth. It aims to raise awareness that we have a collective responsibility to promote harmony with nature and to balance the economic, social and environmental needs of present and future generations.
“It’s Our Turn to Lead,” is the clamour for this Earth day with a goal of promoting environmental awareness, developing sustainable initiatives and galvanizing every human to pledge Acts of Green.
In his message on International Mother Earth Day, 22 April 2015, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed , “Today, on Mother Earth Day, I ask each one of us to be mindful of the impacts our choices have on this planet, and what those impacts will mean for future generations, Ban asserted, adding that, “Not everyone is able to make sustainable choices, but for those who can, simple decisions such as switching to energy-efficient lighting or buying only what you will consume can transform our world.”
To make your actions count, take these little pledges:
- Pledge an act of green by planting a sapling
- Save every drop of water
- Reduce energy consumption. Switch off any unnecessary lights, unplug devices that are not in use or walk to school or your office if you live nearby.
- Learn more about your environment and read about current issues affecting the environment, like pollution, water shortages and climate change.
- Go meatless once in a while. Make a difference by limiting your meat consumption as the meat industry generates nearly one-fifth of the man-made greenhouse gas emissions worldwide
- Shun plastic to protect the environment and remember to recycle your e-waste
- Use Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) which last 10 times longer, use only 1/4 the energy and produce 90% less heat compared to the normal ones.
About World Earth Day :
Earth Day is an annual event, celebrated on April 22, when events worldwide are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. April 22, 2015 marks the 45th anniversary of Earth Day.
The idea came to Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, after witnessing the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. Thus the Earth Day began in 1970, when 20 million people across the United States gathered for increased protection of the environment and a revolution began.
Celebrated for the first time in 1970, it is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network and celebrated in more than 192 countries each year.
It's a day to realise what a gift planet Earth is. So take the lead and return the favour to Mother Earth. Leave a viable planet for the generations to come. Remember that every effort and every action counts!
