As the calendar turns to April 22nd each year, the world celebrates Earth Day, this is a global event
that helps raise awareness for environmental protection and calls all of us that dwell on planet Earth to be committed to preserving and protecting nature so can still dwell peacefully on our planet without facing the dangers of depleting nature's balance
image edited using canva
To be sincere, I never knew Earth Day was a thing not until I went through #Aprilinleo topic for today,
April 22, so I had to read more about it, I learned that this day in history, in 1970, was set as a matter of urgency due to the environmental crises faced, it was shocking to read that the pollution the world still battles with didn't start today, in fact, it dates back to the 1960s, rivers were polluted to the extent of it catching fire, the cities also became smog-filled, despite all these the industries still dump their waste into the river, yet the same thing we experience in some part of the world today, my country included, paying blind eyes to the pollution they create and the massive negative consequences of their action in destabilizing nature's balance in turn, our very health and planet is affected as well.
A great activist Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin began raising awareness and concern, he was inspired by some students who protested against civil rights and the Vietnam War, and he thought that if the same approach was taken to raise awareness on why we all need to protect our planet, then he might be able to force the issue onto the national agenda, he didn't start alone though as he received support from some leaders, true to his thoughts, this system of raising awareness was accepted and is now celebrated worldwide with over 200 countries taking part in Earth day events, this date was particularly chosen so it won't clash with other holidays also so most people would take part in it.
Earth Day achieved what Senator Nelson hoped for, and even to this day it yearly puts that environmental consciousness into us and so far, some policies have been established, in my country, for instance, there are Environmental Protection Agency and flagship that oversees and make sure people take care of their environment, in my state of residence, every Thursday is set aside for market /businessmen and women to clean their houses and business area, while every last Saturday of the month is a general clean up day. To ease the cleaning of our environment and waste disposal, a waste truck is usually designated to some parts of the city to help us dispose of them, so there should be no reason why we shouldn't take part in the cleaning activity.
How can we play a part in sustaining our planet?
- Plant more trees and, or cultivate a garden in your homes, it wasn't too long we experienced intense heat waves in some parts of the world, we also experienced the same in my country, it was so intense that it caused heatstrokes as well, this isn't a natural phenomenon, it is a side effect of us destabilizing nature's balance, through cutting down trees, exhaust from vehicles, and other industrial waste emissions of carbon which further thins out the ozone layers that protects us from the intense heat of the sun, but if we inculcate the habit of maintaining our forest, deforestation, plant more trees and garden as stated earlier, they help in absorbing the element carbon that disrupts the protecting layer.
- We as individuals should also learn to minimize single-use disposable plastics, these materials are non-degradable, meaning they don't decompose, from grocery bags to bottled water, straws, and other packaging materials as such, all these waste most times end up in the river, and has caused so much hazard to our earth and aquatic lives as well. It was interesting when I saw some children looking for these plastics one day, and I asked why they were so invested in searching for these plastics, I learned that the more plastic waste they could pick, the more money they could gather selling them to companies that re-use them to make other useful things, I've also watched on youtube how some DIY YouTubers creatively uses same plastic as decorative ornaments.
• Choose transportation alternatives when you can, you don't have to hop into your vehicles always you know, you can use the bicycle to go get groceries, or walk which are forms of exercise for a healthy body, and in cases where using a vehicle is unavoidable, carpooling or taking public transport can be an option not only does it helps in eliminating unnecessary driving emissions, it also helps us save money. And if you can afford it, an electric vehicle is more environmentally friendly.
• Educate friends and family on why their lifestyle needs to be of benefit to our planet, explaining to them the negative consequences of depleting nature, and make your lifestyle be an example to them, there was one time I was on public transport, after taking a cold bottled drink, I held on to the plastic and the passenger sitting next to me asked if he could help me thrash it through the window as we were on transit, I declined, explaining why it was bad, you should see how everyone was focused on me on the vehicle as if I came from another planet, at the end of the discussion, I knew I made an impact, ignorance shouldn't be an option, let's help spread the word about Earth Day every day.
Small steps like these taken by individuals and families may seem insignificant on their own, but as a community, we can achieve even more than we expect and the more it keeps on spreading, Those individual actions eventually lead to much larger transformations as we gradually embrace environmental
Earth Day reminds us all that despite our incredible technological advancement and way of living that we think can protect us from nature's harshest realities, we still remain fully dependent on our thriving planet to provide the food we eat, water we drink, materials for our industries, and stable climates supporting our very existence.
So let us adopt lifestyles that protect and preserve our planet, changing the world starts with changing our behaviors at home, in our communities, and within our circle, It means taking accountability for our individual environmental impact, no matter how small it may seem, making better choices each day is the right way to go. So for Earth Day this year, why not resolve to embrace one or more of the activities that help save our world?
This post is inspired by the #Aprilinleo monthly topics with the topic "Earth Day", check out the announcement post for more info
Images 2 and 3 are mine