Blue Marble image of the Earth taken by the crew of Apollo 17 on Dec. 7 1972.
Image Credit: NASA
The global pandemic we’re all currently facing demonstrates that borders are just lines on a piece of paper, nationalities are just a list of words and people are just people wherever they live. We all share the same Earth, breathe the same air and see the same sun.
The world needs a day of hope and optimism, and the 50th Earth Day, taking place on Wednesday 22nd April 2020 aims to provide it. The theme this year is climate action – looking at the huge challenge of, but also the potential opportunities offered by, climate change.
Despite the immediacy of the issues of coronavirus, climate change is still the biggest challenge to the long term survival of the human race. This year is particularly important as by the end of December, countries will be expected to increase their commitments to the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change – an agreement that came into force on Earth Day 2016. The 2020 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26) was due to take place in Scotland in November, unfortunately, it has been postponed until 2021.
The fight against climate change cannot be postponed. Sir David Attenborough, appearing on the BBC last Sunday promoting his new documentary ‘A Life on Our Planet’, called on world leaders to recognise the seriousness of this situation and not just to focus on the short-term threats. The film describes his vision for the future and importantly how the world can stop some of the impending climate disasters. He describes how the world is precious and should be celebrated and cherished. Earth Day 2020 is also recognising this is a time where we need to show creativity, innovation, ambition, and bravery and take advantage of the enormous opportunities of a zero-carbon future.
The first Earth Day took place in 1970 in America, when approximately 20 million citizens got involved in rallies to show support for environmental reform. This level of backing was one of the key factors that led to the creation of the US Environmental Protection Agency on the 2nd December later that year, together with the passing of a variety of environmental legislation in America; such as The Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts. Earth Day continued to grow, and in 2009 the United Nations passed a resolution designating the 22nd April as International Mother Earth Day. This acknowledged that the Earth and its ecosystems are our home, and in order to achieve a balance among the economic, social, and environmental needs of present and future generations, it was necessary to promote harmony with nature and the Earth.
Normally around Earth Day, there are thousands of events happening all around the world that people attend and get involved with. Obviously things are different this year, as many parts of the globe have restrictions on their daily lives and cannot travel to mass gatherings. However, this will not prevent anyone from getting involved as today, April 22, is Earth Day Live, a global digital twenty-four hours filled with events as varied as conversations, performances, digital teach-ins and many more. You can find all the events that are happening here.
We’re at a time of opportunity for the world. A time when we should all realise that we’re stronger together than apart and that we’re not alone. We’re not alone facing the virus, and we’re not alone fighting climate change. The world will inevitably have changed when the various lockdowns and restrictions are lifted, let us also take this chance to change our attitude, approach and actions to climate change. Now is the time we should act, now is the time that together we can save the Earth.
