The April 22 is recognized as the “Earth Day” and it is celebrated every year to understand recent environmental issues affecting our planet. Our earth is the only planet in the solar system which is filled with wide range of biodiversity. The main aim of the Earth Day is to teach and emphasize the significance of environment together with its prevention from further biodiversity devastation. Earth day encourages people to get familiar with the means which help to save environment. It also urges inhabitants to “think green” and “act green” by purchasing and utilizing green products.
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How it started?
Earth day was commemorated for the first time on April 22, 1970 in the United State. It was conducted by the Senator in the United States, Gaylord Nelson who bothered about the lack of green issues in U.S. politics. Around 20 million of people together with thousands of local schools and communities had joined in the first Earth Day. On account of this event, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was made in 1970 to supervise the environmental subjects. The Earth Day was declared as international event on March 21, 1971 by United Nations (UN) Secretary-General U Thant. The first International Earth Day was commended in 1990 in which approximately 200 million people from 141 nations participated for preserving environment. The Earth Day ceremony of United Nations takes place every year on vernal equinox day (March 20 or 21).
Some facts related to the increased Pollution:
Today, human has made many drastic changes in the climate due to his strenuous utilization of natural resources. The pollution is spread almost in every kind of region like land, air and water. The UN scientists have reported that as a result of mankind activities, the climate of Earth is warming. Further, the scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found 3.2° and 7.2° Fahrenheit increase in global average temperature at the end of the century with almost certainly figure around 5.5°F. This much of temperature would affect the sea levels to get higher about 7 to 23 inches.
Arctic region is mainly affected by the increased temperature as ice in this region is dissolving at a faster rate. It may be totally free from the ice by summer 2040 or earlier. Rainforests are vanishing rapidly with the speed of one and a half football fields per second. Global warming has also caused the glaciers to melt which can cause to increase water levels of oceans and other water bodies. Hurricanes and heat waves also may take place if pollution will continue to boost. The raised amount of carbon dioxide in oceans water has lead to Coral reefs to suffer from bleaching and die which in turn affect the population of fish, sharks, turtles and sponges as they will not get food.
Importance of Earth Day:
One might think that these all natural calamities can bring the Earth to its end if it will go on. There is a strong need to add the efforts for protecting our environment. The main purpose of the Earth Day is to control the climate changes. It offers us wonderful opportunity to do something worthy for saving our planet. It makes us aware from the harmful effects of pollution and to alter our lifestyle in order to keep harmony with nature. Celebration of the Earth Day lets the people to know about significance of the natural element as well as problems associated with the change of these elements. Earth Day educates us about the incredible Earth and how human bodies can put a difference.
Ways to support Earth Day:
Try to do the following things to support Earth day.
Recycle waste materials like tin cans, office paper, brown bags, cardboard boxes and plastics which can’t be destroyed and leave behind toxic materials.
Everyone knows the benefits of trees so, plant more and more trees. They take out the carbon dioxide from atmosphere which helps to combat with the greenhouse effect. Attend the planting event organized near to your home or office. Go Green on Earth Day.
Drive less as possible because the smoke eliminated from the vehicles contain some hazardous gases which are mixed in the atmosphere. 34% of the U.S nitrogen oxides responsible for the acid rain and 27% of the smog causing hydrocarbons are found to come out from Cars.
Join the Earth Day campaigns and events to widen the wakefulness of Earth Day among other people. You can explore various ideas and activities for year round from Earth Day Network.
Engage with the arts and crafts related to the Earth Day at schools, museums, with individual artists, events and programs. This will be fun for you in addition to doing something valuable for Earth.
Take up a stream, field, or forest which required sprucing up. Create a committee within your neighborhood or bring out rally to admit other people for this act. Besides cleaning and beautifying your surroundings, this idea will also help to promote the sense of companionship within your community.
Organize Earth Day Assembly at schools for informing the children about the Earth Day including guest lecture, information displays, sketches and plays concerning the environment and its storytelling.
Keep in mind the things, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rethink to make your every single day as Earth Day.
Make a group for doing activities linked to the prevention of nature as well as endangered species.
Make a compost pile from food scraps and plant waste from the garden or any places to lower the quantity of trash that penetrate into a landfill.
Best Quotes on Earth Day:
“Don’t be mean, go green. Don’t be so hollow, or civilization will be swallowed. We’re the green team, not the mean team. Take part in Earth Day, and in the future it will pay.”
“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.” - By John Muir
"It is our collective and individual responsibility to protect and nurture the global family, to support its weaker members and to preserve and tend to the environment in which we all live." - By Dalai Lama
"The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope." - By Wendell Berry
“Our primeval Mother Earth is an organism that no science in the world can rationalise. Everything on her that crawls and flies is dependent upon Her and all must hopelessly perish if that Earth dies that feeds us.”- By Victor Schauburger
“I conceive that the land belongs to a vast family of which many are dead, few are living, and countless numbers are still unborn.” - By a Chieftan from Nigeria
“Until a man duplicates a blade of grass, Nature can laugh at his so-called scientific knowledge. Remedies from chemicals will never stand in favorable comparison with the products of Nature, the living cell of a plant, the final result of the rays of the sun, the mother of all life.” - Thomas Alva Edison
“Man must feel the earth to know him and recognize his values. God made life simple. It is man who complicates it.” - By Charles A. Lindbergh
“And this, our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything.” - William Shakespeare
“Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.” - By Chief Seattle
"Nature’s laws affirm instead of prohibit. If you violate laws you are your own prosecuting attorney, judge, jury, and hangman." - By Luther Burbank
“We are on a spaceship; a beautiful one. It took billions of years to develop. We're not going to get another. Now, how do we make this spaceship work?” - By Buckminster Fuller
“The earth is a generous mother; she will provide in plentiful abundance food for all her children if they will but cultivate her soil in justice and in peace." - By Bourke Coekran
"Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, if you listen carefully, you can hear her breathing." - By Arundhati Roy
"After a visit to the beach, it's hard to believe that we live in a material world." - By Pam Shaw
“Thank God men cannot fly, and lay waste the sky as well as the earth.” - By Henry David Thoreau
"What is the use of a house if you haven't got a tolerable planet to put it on?" - By Henry David Thoreau
“Strange is our situation here upon earth.” - By Albert Einstein
“Treat the earth how you want the earth to treat you.”
"Every day is Earth Day."
"There is enough for all".
“Save the world, save yourself.”
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