Earth Day 2017 takes place this Saturday, April 22, and the timing seems more pertinent than ever. How will you contribute?
This year’s Earth Day campaign focuses on environmental and climate literacy. By working together and communicating with each other, we can become as informed as possible about the short- and long-term effects of climate change on our delicate ecosystems. For example, you may not be aware that we have entered a sixth mass extinction brought on by global human activity, and species are going extinct at the fastest rate in recorded history. Concerned citizens need to work together to help protect endangered species while we still can.
There are numerous opportunities for participation all over the world. In New York, the Earth Day Initiative is sponsoring several events, including the Earth Day 5K Tour 2017, Sustainability and Social Good Pop Up, and the Earth Day in New York 2017 taking place in Union Square.
Perhaps the largest activist event happening is the March for Science. Hundreds of thousands of participants are expected to stand together and support science in the main march in Washington, DC, as well as dozens of satellite marches around the U.S. and the globe.
Sticking closer to home, the city of South Bend hosts the Arbor and Earth Day Festival at Rum Village Park, along with other great events such as the Cache-In Trash-Out cleanup at Ferrettie Baugo Creek County Park. To search for local Earth Day events near you, check out the Earth Day 2017 calendar tool via Environlink.
On the global scale, the Earth Day Network launched its Trees for the Earth campaign a year ago. The group set an ambitious goal of planting 7.8 billion trees over the course of five years. To put the goal into perspective, that’s one tree for every single person projected to live on Earth by the year 2020.
NGOs, businesses, and individuals (like you!) have stepped up and taken action, with 1.5 billion tree-planting commitments made to date. If you do not have the time to plant a tree yourself, then the Earth Day Network’s Canopy Project will plant one for you in a developing country for a donation of just a dollar. One dollar equals one tree, and those trees will provide food and shade for local communities as well as contribute to reforestation and climate remediation efforts.
Finally, have you heard about what’s going on in India’s National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi? As of January 1, the NCT began implementing a total ban on disposable plastic to help decrease pollution locally and beyond. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) reports that cutlery, bags, cups, and various forms of single-use plastics are now prohibited from use in the NCT.
While some may find this policy extreme, the Times of India reported that approximately 60 percent of the plastic found in our oceans can be traced back to India. That’s right: 60 percent of all of the plastic polluting the oceans originates from the subcontinent. The new NCT policy represents a monumental first step not only for India but for the entire world, and provides an example of good policy that will hopefully be adopted by other nations.
Whether it’s the small gesture of planting a tree in your community, taking an activist role by marching for the health of the planet or working to eliminate disposable plastic, Earth Day provides a perfect opportunity for communities worldwide to take ambitious actions to preserve and protect our planet. Get out there and take action!
By Heather Dixon, marketing coordinator, Inovateus Solar
