Earth Day: Learning to live responsibly

If we look at historical records and archeological findings, we can see that humanity has come a long way and has progressed significantly during the last two centuries. However, at Newspatrolling, we feel that this progress has come at a great cost, so much so that it has now started to endanger our existence. It turns out that we were oblivious of the catastrophic effects that our activities were having on planet earth, or maybe we simply chose to ignore it. Global warming, droughts, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, volcano eruptions, air & water pollution, water scarcity, etc. have become increasingly commonplace, as if our planet earth is trying to warn us that if we got to live here, we got to start living responsibly.

Earth Day, April 22

As per info gathered by Newspatrolling, the idea for an Earth Day was proposed by Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin. Gaylord was hugelydistraught after having witnessed the widespread devastation caused by the colossal oil spill in Santa Barbara, California in 1969. At that time, not many Americans knew or cared about environmental concerns. Gaylord thought that the backdrop of the oil spill would be the right moment to spread awareness about environmental issues affectinghumankind. He later announced to the media about a “national teach-in on the environment” day to be observed on April 22, every year, which is now known worldwide as the Earth Day. The first Earth Day, held on April 22, 1970, was a huge success, as around 20 million Americans came out on the streets, parks, and auditoriums to express their support for the environment.

Earth Day – A progressive environmental movement

At present, the activities related to Earth Day are coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network, an organization that seeks to augment the scope and diversity of the environmental movement on a global scale. The primary objectives are to create a healthy, sustainable environment, manage issues related to climate change, and make our planet livable for future generations. As per data available with Newspatrolling, more than 1 billion people across 192 countries are expected to take part in a wide variety of activities planned on Earth Day, April 22, 2016. With such massive participation, Earth Day is now the single largest civic and secular observance in the world.

The theme chosen for Earth Day 2016 is “Trees for the Earth”, an ambitious mission undertaken by the Earth Day Network to plant 7.8 billion trees by the year 2020. This willbe the 50th anniversary of the Earth Day. Active participation is being sought from various organizations and individuals to achieve this mammoth task. It is believed that planting trees can contribute significantly towards mitigating climate change, reducing pollution, protecting biodiversity, and helping communities sustain their livelihoods.

Newspatrolling would like its readers to know that a landmark event scheduled on Earth Day, April 22, 2016 is the Paris Agreement, which is to be signed by 122 countries including United States and China. This Agreement will pave the way for the climate protection treaty that was adopted by consensus of the 195 nations present at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris. It will enforce strict rules that member countries will have to follow to protect our planet’s environment from further deterioration.

How you can contribute on Earth Day, 2016

Drops make up the oceans, so your contributions really matter when it comes to protecting our planet Earth. A wide variety of events are being organized across the globe on April 22, in every major city and town. Newspatrolling recommends that you visit Earth Day Network website to find an event near your location, in which you can participate. You can also organize your own event and post it on the Earth Day Network. For example, you can take help from family, friends and neighbors to plant trees in your locality. Any activity that helps protect the environment is most welcome, so go for it. And don’t forget to spread the word – the more voices, the better.