essay about mother earth is crying

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American Meteorological Society's multifaith project responds to Earth's cry

A member of the Puerto Rico National Guard wades through water Sept. 19, 2022, in search for people to be rescued from flooded streets in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona in Salinas, Puerto Rico. (CNS/Ricardo Arduengo)

by Carlos Martinez

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Editor's note: EarthBeat is publishing a series of essays on the goals of the Laudato Si' Action Platform from speakers at the 2023 "Laudato Si' and the U.S. Catholic Church" conference, held virtually throughout June and July and co-sponsored by Creighton University and Catholic Climate Covenant. This essay is on the Laudato Si' Goal "Response to the cry of the Earth."

When someone cries for help, usually we go to that person and ask, "What is wrong? Are you okay?" We spend time listening to their concerns, situation or plea, tend to their needs, call emergency personnel or even pray. This response embodies the Catholic directive to love your neighbor as yourself ( Matthew 22:39 ). 

Today, Mother Earth is crying for help. As a climate scientist, I hear this cry through my research in the Caribbean assessing future changes in rainfall, an important commodity for farmers, water managers and other inhabitants in the region. Consequently, it is one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change impacts due to losses in biodiversity from warmer temperatures, and increases in flash flooding, droughts and hurricane activity. 

I have witnessed the devastating impacts — my own family in Puerto Rico experienced 135 days without power following Hurricane Maria. 

My Catholic faith tradition instills a deep sense of care and responsibility for the world. Furthermore, Catholic social teaching fosters a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of all life and promotes responsible actions for the care of our common home.

Henry Zeller, a homeless man who lives out of an RV on the street, stops to drink water to stay hydrated during the extreme heat in Los Angeles July 16. (AP/Richard Vogel)

In recent weeks, the planet has experienced its hottest days ever recorded. Last year, reports from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned of heat waves, floods and droughts becoming more frequent and intense than in the past. We see these consequences of climate change reverberating throughout the United States, across diverse regions, directly impacting the local ecosystems and communities that rely on them.

In the Western United States , scorching heat waves and drought have resulted in major concerns regarding water security. 

The Great Plains , where 80% of the area is used for agriculture, faces the challenge of heat waves and drought that increase soil erosion and decline water resources, impacting crop yields and food production. 

The northern United States has experienced a lengthened pollen season and a warmer, wetter climate that extends suitable habitats for disease-carrying ticks, mosquitoes and other insects. 

Coastal communities, including Puerto Rico and Hawaii, face erosion from sea-level rise. Meanwhile, intense hurricanes and increased coral bleaching threaten marine wildlife. 

In Alaska's fishing communities , melting permafrost and sea ice depletion diminish natural resources. 

Small waves crash into reinforced seawalls on Oct. 4, 2022, in Shishmaref, Alaska, where the island Inupiat community faces rising sea levels, flooding, increased erosion and loss of protective sea ice and land. (AP/Jae C. Hong)

The Earth's cry is heard beyond the realms of modern science and the Catholic faith, too. Indigenous knowledge holders hear it through the devastating impacts extreme weather and climate change have on their sacred lands. Whether you live in a mountainous region seeing less snow than before, an area where wildfire season has lengthened, or a coastal town witnessing polluted waters, your experiences with the local environment can provide a deep sensitivity to Mother Earth's cry, if you're listening.

In the face of such expansive environmental crises, we must respond with urgency and unity. This response requires the collaboration of communities from all faiths, belief systems, and backgrounds, because the care of our common home requires cooperation with everyone.

That's why I developed and now lead the American Meteorological Society's Committee on Spirituality, Multifaith Outreach, and Science (COSMOS), which brings together scientists, faith leaders, government agencies and Indigenous knowledge holders to promote a multidimensional approach to environmental stewardship.

Through partnering with faith organizations and the U.S. National Weather Service in its Weather-Ready Nation program , COSMOS provides educational and material assistance to faith organizations in becoming weather- and climate-ready hubs with increased preparedness for natural disasters. For example, COSMOS helps houses of worship connect with local weather service personnel, receive weather radios, and train congregations to prepare and properly respond to hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires or other weather extremes.

People walk by a formerly sunken boat standing upright into the air with its stern buried in the mud along the shoreline of the drought-stricken Lake Mead at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area on Jan. 27 near Boulder City, Nevada. (AP/John Locher, File)

Additionally, COSMOS develops sessions, initiatives, webinars and other programming on community climate mitigation and resilience and environmental justice, and public communication on environmentalism. 

For example, COSMOS' publicly available "Finding Common Ground Amongst Science, Spirituality, and Environmentalism" webinar series brings together spiritual leaders of all backgrounds to converse with weather, water and climate professionals. 

We also developed the first-ever town hall and presidential session on Indigenous and Earth system science at the 2023 American Meteorological Society annual meeting, where Indigenous leaders highlighted the value of Indigenous voices in the weather, water and climate community, and discussed ways to partner on environmentalism. 

The Catholic Climate Covenant and the Laudato Si' Movement are among those faith organizations that COSMOS has partnered with in their mission to address the climate crisis, biodiversity loss and ecological sustainability. COSMOS provided scientific literature and expertise in the development of the Catholic Climate Covenant's Wholemakers creation care curriculum for young adults.

We have also partnered with multifaith organizations such as GreenFaith and Interfaith Power and Light to develop community gathering events between their affiliates and professionals in the weather, water and climate community to promote relationships and community-centered environmental projects. 

Working in tandem with the U.S. Centers for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, COSMOS has linked even more faith-based and spiritual partners. By connecting more groups in this space, we streamline funding resources, grants and federal initiatives that support houses of worship in their transitions to become more environmentally friendly.

The cry of the Earth is both a call for help and a call to action. The scientific evidence of climate change impacts leaves no room for complacency; God entrusts us with the responsibility to be stewards of creation. Just as we are called to respond to human cries for help, so too must we respond to the cry of the Earth with love, compassion and action. As Catholics, we are called to be caretakers of God's creation, recognizing that our response to the cry of the Earth is rooted in our faith and in our shared humanity. 

Then, by fostering interdisciplinary and multifaith collaboration, we can amplify our efforts to protect and restore the Earth. Through sustainable practices, conservation initiatives, and political advocacy that prioritizes the well-being of both people and the planet, we become agents of change. And in doing so, we can bring hope to the world and ensure a sustainable and thriving planet for future generations.

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I heard mother Earth crying.

I heard mother Earth crying. She was saying, "Please save me from this calamity. Humans are destroying me, killing me and ruining me. 

They don't know I can feel pain too; I have feelings too and I feel everything just like you! 

Humans are selfish, they build factories on my body! 

They kill animals, just for the sake of their taste buds! 

They keep polluting my whole body, by poisonous gases!

They don't know what I can do,   I can kill  them all in a matter of two! 

But the time's not gone, they can still save me, by going eco-friendly!

View the discussion thread.

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Can you hear Mother Earth?

A special message from Sister Chan Khong Plum Village, July 2016

A DESPERATE CALL FOR HELP FROM MOTHER EARTH

Dear Citizens of the Earth,

Forty-six years ago, in 1970, I was a young biologist present at a ground-breaking meeting between Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and six leading scientists in Menton in the south of France.

We met to address the damage that was being done to the Earth through human misuse of technology, the penetration into food-chains of poisonous substances and the mounting exploitation of natural resources. Together, our small group of seven scientists issued The Menton Statement in 1970, which was published in Le Monde and The New York Times in 1971 and signed by over 2,000 scientists in 25 countries.

It was one of the very first international statements by scientists to raise concern about environmental destruction and the urgent need to protect the Earth.

Our group also established a pioneering NGO, which we called “Đại Đồng Thế Giới” (World of Great Togetherness). We met with the United Nations Secretary-General and played a key role in preparing the ground for the UN Stockholm Conference on the Environment—the first of its kind—that took place a year later in june 1972. Ahead of the talks, we held a civil society conference and issued an “Independent Declaration on the Environment” to support the UN’s good intentions and help prevent the talks being stalled or sidelined by powerful governments.

It was as a result of the Stockholm Conference that the UN established the United Nations Environment Program and national governments began to create ministries for the environment.

Since that time, our teacher Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh continued to teach extensively, speaking out for the protection of the earth and the importance of following a “global ethic” to safeguard our planet.

He has transmitted the 5 Mindfulness Trainings to over 100,000 men and women, and over 4,000 have received the 14 Mindfulness Trainings . Each person makes a vow to contribute to building a small beloved community (“sangha”) near their home, and to live in a compassionate way to protect all species on Earth as the many thousand arms of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.

The Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh was asked what we need to do to save our world. “What we most need to do,” he replied, “is to hear within us the sound of the earth crying.”

Forty-four years since the UN’s Stockholm Conference, Mother Earth’s condition continues to degenerate, and today she is in desperate need of our engaged, compassionate action. For billions of years different life-forms have been evolving together and nourishing each other on Earth in harmonious equilibrium.

But now, humankind is destroying this balance, and Mother Earth is crying out in pain. Can you hear that your mother is dying?

Can you hear the cry of Mother Earth:

Please wake up, my children, and see what you are doing. Your atomic bombs have laid waste to billions of precious lives, even the most fragile life forms and micro-organisms, across vast swathes of silent desert and open ocean. You have cut down and set fire to my forests, and poured toxins into my atmosphere and waters. You have sliced out my mountains and precious earth to search for fossil fuels, gold and bauxite.

Your nuclear power plants, and factories of chemicals and steel have released radioactive waste into my waters and poisoned my earth. My body reeking and twisting with pain has brought forth storms and tornadoes, floods and hurricanes. I am a living earth and my quakes and volcanoes express my life-force, and my pain.

Today I am suffocating in the deep waters off the coast of Viet Nam. Billions of fish, dolphins, sharks, shrimps, crabs, and exotic rare species from the depths of the ocean, have been washed ashore, dead and lifeless, across 140 miles of coastline in Vietnam, from Ha Tinh along the coast of Quang Binh, and the coasts of Thua Thien and Da Nang Quang Nam.

What terrible poisons have you poured in my waters? There is only one great ocean and poison in one ocean is poison in my whole body. The South China Sea is also the Pacific Ocean, it is the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean.

My dear children, please listen! These beautiful fish are also your brothers and sisters, they are also crying for your help. If living species in the oceans are dying, how long will you last? Please remember, my beloved ones, that you cannot take any steel, gold and bauxite with you when you die.

Our Mother Earth has been crying out for so long. She has never stopped giving us whatever we needed: food, water and shelter, allowing us to flourish in her abundance, never asking for anything in return. But now she asks for our support, our love, our action. We have allowed our alienation and greed to dominate our lives to the detriment and exploitation of our Mother.

Many of us have forgotten that we are one with the Earth. The Earth is not a separate entity from us. We are part of the Earth, and the Earth is part of us. The Earth is not a resource for us to exploit at our will. The Earth is us; we are intimately interconnected with the Earth, just as we inter-are with all other species on Earth, too. Our spiritual ancestors have taught us about the law of interdependent co-arising: this is because that is. We are here because the Earth is here. All species are our brothers and sisters; we are all children of the Earth.

When we see our deep interbeing with the Earth and with all species, we will see what to do—and what to stop doing—to help the situation. We will have the clarity and compassion we need to help change the situation, so that a future can be possible for us all.

Yes, humans and societies need to develop and progress. But at what cost? We call our political leaders all over the planet, our civil servants, and especially our corporate leaders to stop and look deeply at our behavior. Our industries and corporations are destroying the very fabric that makes life possible and beautiful. We must make adjustments to the cries of Mother Earth.

Each one of us can take action in concrete ways.

1. Recognize that what we choose to eat greatly impacts our personal health, the distribution of wealth and resources, and the global environment. We can go closer to a vegan diet as recommended by a recent study by the National Academy of Sciences to reduce our impact on climate change and global pollution, and nourish not only our health but our compassion. We can commit to reducing our meat consumption by 50%, or to not eating meat and dairy products 15 days a month.

2. Recognize that environmental ills are inherently linked to human ills. We should look deeply at our lifestyle and make changes to reduce our consumption and simplify our life. Greed is a byproduct of an individualistic and materialistic way of looking the world. It has become rampant and is a major cause of the imbalances on our planet. Each one of us can support efforts to alleviate inequities wherever we live and between affluent northern hemisphere societies and southern ones.

3. Recognize that there are alternative renewable energy sources. We can encourage governments to find sustainable energy sources and transition away from nuclear and fossil fuels. It is possible to develop society and industry in new ways, and not at the cost of Mother Earth and numerous species on land and in the ocean, nor at the cost of the wellbeing of future generations. Nuclear waste, whether hidden beneath the earth or exposed, is a toxic cancer to our planet. We will be paying for the luxuries of today with sicknesses tomorrow. Each one of us can make efforts to reduce our personal consumption of energy, in terms of electricity, water, transportation, and the products we buy every day.

4. Recognize that the meat and agricultural industries are a major cause of environmental degradation. We must encourage governments to adopt sustainable development practices to minimize waste and pollution caused by cultivating, processing and transporting meat and fish, and to move away from meat and fish production, which are not sustainable food sources for a growing global population.

Sister Chân Không (Cao Ngọc Phượng) Eldest Sister of the Order of Interbeing, on behalf of the 4,217 monastic and lay members of the Order

May you all enjoy the beautiful colors of spring, the fragrant Summer breeze and glowing sun, the gold and crimson leaves of autumn, and the cool, beautiful light of winter. May you remember also that every being with whom we share this beautiful planet is also a precious gem. May you enjoy everyone around you and not wait until it is too late, until everything is nothing more than a dream.

Keep Reading

How To / Reconcile

A Message from Sister Chân Đức

Activism / Resilience, Community, and Spirituality (Part Two)

Activism / Resilience, Community, and Spirituality (Part one)

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Thich Nhat Hanh January 15, 2020

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The Cry of Mother Earth: Call to the First Ecosocialist International

The Cry of Mother Earth!

for the ancestors who, with their lives and struggles, plowed the spirit and the strength of what we now call ecosocialism …

CALL TO THE FIRST ECOSOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL! REWEAVING PANGAEA

(The spirits live, the magic continues)

Sanare, Lara, The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela October 31 – November 3, 2017

The mourning of Mother Earth calls us. Her cry resounds within us. It is ours. This call echoes her cry. We accept our responsibility. We call respectfully on her behalf because we understand and feel the pain: the voice and the cry of Mother Earth. How can we not respond, when we know that her destruction is our own, of all humanity, of all life?

A social relation imposes the domination of a few over the many, and over life as a whole. It is based on greed, on dispossession, on patriarchy and racism, on the generation and accumulation of profits. The few who dominate obey the illusory fantasy of their power and their insatiable, egotistical consumerism. Theirs is the history of progress, which demands and justifies expansive cycles of exploration, exploitation, exclusion and extermination. It is suicidal course of uncontrollable destruction, which occupies and encompasses our bodies and imaginations.

Ecosocialism is one of the voices which responds to the cry of Mother Earth, one among many convocations which emerge from our territories. Ecosocialism is a calling in which many others are evoked and resound; one of the many ways to name the pain of Mother Earth, which claims us, names us, and challenges us to change.

Thus we call upon ourselves: to liberate Mother Earth and to liberate ourselves: to resist and overcome the social relations that deny and destroy us.

We convoke ourselves with a sense of urgency. Mother Earth is dying. We are not referring to a threat, but recognizing the facts of an ongoing process, the consequences of a suicidal irresponsibility which drags us to the verge of destruction. The social relation of greed – for which there are too many people and not enough planet for the accumulation of profits to continue – has generated a global crisis. A total war against life has been launched in order to eliminate the surplus and to control the scarcity that this social relation have falsely conceived. This system is the only surplus that we must overcome and eliminate. And the only scarcity is the limited recognition that ecosocialism is the original model – that they made us sick with their counter-model; with their alternatives to ways of life based on ancestral principles and practices – which we must now reclaim, with the seeds and crops of the paths to the life we need.

We seem possessed by the greatest of absurdities. We assume that we are separate, distinct from “nature.” This project of death and arrogance makes us all accomplices. In reality, we have been exiled. We need to return, to reintegrate, to once again become daughters and sons of Mother Earth; to be inseparable and interwoven with her. We call upon ourselves to make this return to life a reality.

Who are we calling upon in response to Mother Earth´s cry and call to the First Ecosocialist International?

Here we share our collective criteria to call upon those who will take part in the First Ecosocialist International. In doing so, we also establish criteria for those who will not take part in it.

Those who never accepted exile call upon us: those who have resisted and remained rooted, who have been punished by a conquest which cannot tolerate them. The fact that they are still alive, speaking their languages and maintaining their traditions expresses the greatest and most beautiful capacity of resistance and rebellion in human history. Their survival, in spite of the mistreatment and abuse they have suffered, guides us and calls out to us. They are peoples rooted in their land, indelibly interwoven with Mother Earth. It is these peoples who today confront the greatest risks of extinction.

Those who have returned, who have experienced the desolation of their banishment, and have taken the path home: they too call on us to join them. This is also their place. We need to pay respect to their word and experience by making it our own.

Those of us who, in word and action, in multiple and diverse ways and on different paths, resound with our commitment to return, and who therefore are walking in this common struggle, call upon ourselves to be, as we are certain to become, from and with Mother Earth.

Those of us who know that resistance-rebellion and creating-transforming are inseparable and simultaneous duties, who realize that the social relation which suppresses us has invented this and other false dichotomies by separating and dividing that which must remain united, we call on ourselves to re-establish the unity of what cannot remain divided.

Mother Earth: Those who have remained interwoven; those who were exiled but have now returned; those who have joined in struggle to take the path back to your bosom and wisdom in word and action: we call upon one-another.

We know the biographies and the chronologies of the regime that condemns us to oblivion. We have memorized the scripts and we have learned to forge ourselves to the roles which assign us to classes and castes, places and behaviors, expectations and positions. We hear the anguish, the disagreement, the impotence, and the solitude. We see through the masks and the makeup – they are the bait which tempts us into the trap of permanent fear: the fear which makes us pursue illusions of stability and security; the fear of losing by which we are chained to the inexorable course of defending that which destroys us as individuals and peoples; the fear whose only possible path is obedience and desolation. Thus we convoke ourselves to gather at the First Ecosocialist International, to overcome the social relation that destroys and suppresses us, and to commit ourselves to reach out with respect and reciprocity to those who have not yet accepted the responsibility defend Mother Earth.

We are aware that the few who will take part in the convocation of First Ecosocialist International will not be all of us; indeed that most of us will not be there. Those who will meet in the first encounter of the Ecosocialist International must humbly realize this great limitation and assume an enormous responsibility: to weave a process between and beyond themselves; to carry it on all the required paths towards the liberation of Mother Earth. Although not replaced nor represented, the many absent may count on the commitment and experience of those present to consciously contribute to a movement of movements and a spiral of spirals. We seek neither answers nor leaders, but the weaving of many ways to free ourselves with Mother Earth.

We convene those coming from specific realities where concrete challenges need to be addressed and overcome with the vision of a collective horizon. We will not convene those who subordinate processes and realities to imagined or prescribed landscapes. We recognize that we have been fooled, confused, captured and suppressed in diverse ways and that we need to acknowledge our ambivalences and contradictions. We come together to face and overcome these. We call upon those willing and able to consistently take responsibility for their contradictions and overcome their mistakes.

We call upon those who are braiding theory and practice to come and share their struggles: for freedom from oppression, dispossession and death; for freedom to live, to weave ourselves to life and to Mother Earth.

We recognize that our home is surrounded and infiltrated by those who, captured by the greed that moves a mistaken social order, have the power, the capacity, the means and the need to destroy it and us. This situation urgently demands our wisdom: to propose paths and design plans, to recognize, confront and overcome this threat and aggression with moral and strategic action. To convoke the First Ecosocialist International, we must bring together processes and peoples who cannot be bought, who don’t surrender, who don’t get tired, and who won’t deceive or be deceived.

We have decided to make the most of four days, between the 31st of October and the 3rd of November 2017, to be moved, and to lay the foundations for a short, medium and long-term plan of collective action. We must begin to respond in this short time with the greatest wisdom to achieve maximum impact. Thus we aim to identify and prioritize select processes and individuals, who, responding to the criteria outlined here, will exchange experiences and propose directions. The purpose is not to exclude, but on the contrary, to begin to move forward from solid ground and vision towards inclusion. This initial plan of action will be presented both humbly and firmly as the axis of a spiral whose vocation and commitment is to contribute to compose word and action word in harmony, until all are free from project of death that overwhelms us, until all are interwoven again with Mother Earth.

This is a first step. No person or process can claim ownership or leadership of what shall be done and achieved collectively; we accept this responsibility as a priority. We respond to this calling to the First Ecosocialist International, which is a calling to confront and overcome the challenge of the cry of Mother Earth: To create and transform, to resist and rebel – both far beyond and closer to home than the boundaries of this life-threatening system. To organize ourselves on this shared path to freedom will be our only reward and commitment.

Based on these criteria, we assume the responsibility to call upon a limited number of participants who can realize the work demanded of us. With this call which echoes towards all continents and territories, all peoples, processes and individuals searching to achieve balance and harmony, we are proceeding to convene participants to Abya Yala and Turtle Island. This process begins immediately, promising permanent communication between those of us who have committed ourselves to it.

The spirits embodied themselves in us, suggesting a program which appeals through the portals of being and feeling, with simple and elemental points of entry: to listen to the cry of Mother Earth echoing within ourselves, and to find ourselves with each other in a collective pattern and plan.

If not you, who? (We are who.) If not here, where? (Here is where.) If not now, when? (Now’s the time!)

From the Pluricosmovisionary Commission (Twelve states of Venezuela, ten countries, three continents)

Locals (Monte Carmelo y Sanare, Lara):

Semillero Socialista de Monte Carmelo / Consejo Comunal de Monte Carmelo / Comuna María Teresa Angulo / Asociación de Productores de Monte Carmelo / Cooperativa “La Alianza” de Las Lajitas, / Asociación Civil MonCar / Feria de Consumo Familiar de Monte Carmelo / Colectivo Senderos del Saber de Monte Carmelo / Liceo Bolivariano Benita de Jesús García de Monte Carmelo / Liceo Bolivariano Rural ¨María Teresa Angulo¨ de Bojo / Cooperativa 8 de Marzo de Palo Verde / Sistema de Trueke del Territorio Comunal “Argimiro Gabaldón” de Sanare / Emisora Comunitaria Sanareña 101.9 FM de Sanare / Colectivo de Investigación ¨El Maestro Café¨ de Sanare

Nationals (Venezuela):

Consejo Popular de Resguardo de Semillas “Renato y El Caimán” de Lara / Consejo Popular de Resguardo de Semillas “Los Mintoyes de Mistajá” de Mérida / Consejo Popular de Resguardo de Semillas “Cumbe Adentro” de Yaracuy / Consejo Popular de Resguardo de Semillas “Arawac” de Aragua / Consejo Popular de Resguardo de Semillas “Ancestrales” de Táchira / Diseminadores de Semillas de Lara / Red de Konuker@s Biorregion Oriente / Red de Konuker@s Biorregion Centroccidente / Red de Konuker@s Biorregion Andina / Calendario Productivo Socio Cultural / Escuela Popular de Semillas / Escuela Popular de Piscicultura / MST Venezuela (Movimientos Sociales por el Trueke, la Paz, la Vida y el Ecosocialismo) / Sistema de Trueke Urachiche de Yaracuy / Sistema de Trueke Merideño de Mérida / Sistema de Trueke Paraguachoa de Nueva Esparta / Sistema de Trueke Biorregion Turimiquire (Monagas, Sucre y Anzoátegui) / Comuna “El Maizal” / EPATU KONUKO (Espirales Populares para las Artes y Tradiciones Universales del Konuko) / GREP (Guerilla Republik Venezuela) / FRAV (Frente Revolucionario de Artesanas y Artesanos de Venezuela) Capitulo Mérida / Colectivo Cimarrón de Zulia / Colectivo Oko de Quibor / Estudiantes del IALA (Instituto Latinoamericano de Agroecología “Paulo Freire”) de Barinas / Colectivos, Organizaciones y Movimientos Sociales Venezolanos que hacemos parte de la Red Nacional de Guardianes de Semillas de Venezuela.

Internationals:

United African Alliance Community Center of Tanzania / Africa Mother’s Foundation of Kenya / Kenya Debt Relief Network / Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement of Sri Lanka / Charlotte O’Neal (Black Panthers) of USA / Ecosocialist Horizons of USA / Pueblos en Camino of Puebla, México / CODEPANAL (Comisión de Defensa del Patrimonio Nacional) of Bolivia / Red Universitaria de Ambiente y Salud – Médicos de Pueblos Fumigados, of Argentina / Las y los Liberadores de Uma Kiwe, Norte del Cauca, of Colombia

Guaja/Monte Carmelo, Sanare, Lara, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela October 28th, 2016

The Bolivarian Government of Venezuela

Locals: (Monte Carmelo y Sanare, Lara)

Baquianos del Conocimiento de Monte Carmelo / Panadería La Campesina de Bojo / Asociación de Productores Agroecológicos El Alto de Guarico / Comuna Socialista Sueño de Bolívar / Comuna Kiriwa / Comuna Caimán de Sanare / Comuna Asunción Piñero / Comuna Argimiro Gabaldon / Comuna Un Nuevo Amanecer del Guaical / Comuna Pingano / Comuna Jirajara / Comuna en construcción Santiago Hernández / Comuna Ezequiel Zamora / Comuna Las Quebraditas / Comuna Ciudad de Angostura / Comuna Albarical / Comuna Gran Sabana / Comuna en construcción Miraflores Unidos / Coordinación de Educación del Municipio Andrés Eloy Blanco con todas sus Escuelas y Liceos / Misión Sucre, Misión Robinson y Misión Rivas de A.E.B / Universidad Politécnica Territorial Andrés Eloy Blanco / Universidad Campesina de Venezuela Argimiro Gabaldon / Red de Escuelas Agroecológicas Ezequiel Zamora /

Programa Todas las Manos a la Siembra / Movimiento Todas las Manos a la Siembra / Movimiento Pedagógico Revolucionario / Zona Educativa de Lara / Colectivo Ecosocialista “Chávez Vive” / ASGDRE (Alianza Sexo-Genero Diversa Revolucionaria) / Sistema de Trueke Guatopori Guaicaipuro de Los Teques, Miranda / Trueke Tinaquillo de Cojedes / Sistema de Trueke Kirikire de Los Valles del Tuy, Miranda / Colectivo Maestras Cimarronas de Veroes, Yaracuy / Colectivo ArteBrisa de Mérida / Danza Teatro “Poco a Poco” de El Tocuyo, Lara / Fundación Bosque Macuto de Barquisimeto, Lara / Frente de Resistencia Ecológica de Zulia / Colectivo “La Mancha” / Trenzas Insurgentes (Colectivo de Mujeres Negras, Afrovenezolanas, Afrodescendientes) de Caracas / Circulo de Hombres de Caracas / Colectivo INDIA (Instituto de Investigación y Defensa Integral Autogestionaria) de Caracas / Plataforma Socialista “Golpe de Timón” de Carabobo / A.C. Portavoces del Ambiente (Producción Audiovisual Ambiental) de Cabudare, Lara / Comuna Padre Juan Bautista Briceño, Parroquia Trinidad Samuel (Rural), Municipio Bolivariano G/D Pedro Leon Torres, Lara / Cooperativa El Sabor de mi Tierra Margariteña 321 R.L. de Nueva Esparta / A.C. Tierras y Hombres Libres (Agricultores Ecologistas Ambientalistas) el Vallecito, Mérida / UPF La Granjita del Nono de El Salado, Ejido, Mérida / Centro Nacional de Conservación de los Recursos Fitogenéticos de Maracay, Aragua, Dirección General de Diversidad Biológica, Ministerio del Poder Popular para Ecosocialismo y Aguas / MORAHC (Movimiento de Organizaciones Revolucionarias Ambientalistas y Humanistas de Caricuao) / Colectivo Socioambiental Marahuaka de Caracas / Fundación Reyes de Corazón de Caracas /

La Terre Institute for Community and Ecology (New Orleans, USA) / a new black arts movement (USA) / Urban Art Beat (USA) / Commusaic (Belgium) / the c.i.p.h.e.r. (Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya) / Health of Mother Earth Foundation (Nigeria) / Kabetkache Women Development Centre (Nigeria) / Peoples Advancement Centre (Nigeria) / No REDD in Africa Network / Justicia Ambiental (Friends of the Earth, Mozambique) / Young Christians in Action for Development (Togo) / …

To adhere to this convocation (processes, organizations, movements):

[email protected] (Spanish)

[email protected] (English)

This document emerged from “The Calling of the Spirits,” in Monte Carmelo, Lara, Venezuela in October 2016. View photos from this gathering here

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Let’s Save Each Other

Illustration by Stephanie McMillan . Used with permission

Nature is suffering. Mother Earth urges call to action.

Mother Earth is clearly urging a call to action. Australian wild fires, heat records, oceans filling with plastic and the worst locust invasion in Kenya, as well as a record-breaking Atlantic hurricane season. Now we face COVID -19, a worldwide health pandemic linked to the health of our ecosystem.

Ecosystems support all life on Earth. The healthier our ecosystems are, the healthier the planet - and its people. Restoring our damaged ecosystems will help to end poverty, combat climate change and prevent mass extinction.

Climate change, man-made changes to nature and disruptions to biodiversity such as deforestation, land-use change, intensified agriculture and livestock production, or the growing illegal wildlife trade, can increase contact and transmission of infectious zoonotic diseases from animals to humans like COVID-19.

The immediate priority is to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but in long-term, it is important to tackle habitat and biodiversity loss. We are in this fight together with our Mother Earth.

https://twitter.com/eu_eeas/status/1385130629336125441/photo/1

Earth Day serves as a conscious reminder of how fragile our planet is and how important it is to protect it, and aims to promote clean living and a healthy, sustainable habitat for people and wildlife alike.

Working together to #RestoreOurEarth

Many important environmental events have happened on Earth Day since 1970, including the recent signing of the Paris Agreement, and Earth Day continues to be a momentous and unifying day each and every year. In fact, amidst the pandemic, a ray of light is shed for Mother Earth this year, as the EU participates in a global Leaders Summit on Climate on Earth Day 2021, convened by the US under the Biden Administration – a historic climate summit and an opportunity for making active progress to Restore Our Earth .

Upcoming events on Biodiversity

The crucial CoP 15 meeting to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Kunming, China, in October 2021, is expected to adopt a new global framework to protect and restore nature. This is as essential as the Paris Agreement focusing on the climate urgency because nature is our best ally to fight climate.

• Global coalition “#UnitedforBiodiversity”

https://twitter.com/EU_ENV/status/1385161360561119235

In 2020, the EU launched a new global coalition for biodiversity calling for stronger mobilisation in raising awareness about the need to protect biodiversity, ahead of CBD CoP 15. After CoP 15, the focus of the coalition for biodiversity will be on coordinated actions with tangible impact aimed at bending the curve of biodiversity loss.

#EUBeachCleanup for protection of marine biodiversity

In line with CBD CoP 15, the annual global #EUBeachCleanup campaign will this year focus on the theme of marine biodiversity. The campaign aims to raise awareness on the importance of the protection of sealife and the preservation of healthy marine ecosystems and promotes actions that reflect how ocean protection begins at home.

A closer look at some environmental initiatives worldwide

Europe is here: support for the environment in Albania

Albania is distinguished for its rich biological diversity, having one of the richest ecosystems and some of the most abundant water resources in Europe. However over the years uncontrolled urban and rural land planning has caused irreversible damage to its land, sea, rivers, lakes and the ecosystems. The EU has provided financial support to Albania for projects focused on climate and the environment. Find out more in the video.

Women turn to beekeeping and preserve wildlife in Tanzania

Across Tanzania’s Tarangire-Manyara ecosystem, more than 1,350 environmentally friendly beehives – hanging from giant baobab and acacia trees – are more than an eye-catcher. Installed by members of Tanzania People & Wildlife’s Women’s Beekeeping Initiative, these environmentally friendly hives help to preserve habitats for big cats and other wildlife while generating a sustainable revenue stream for rural women.

"We've observed increasing numbers of lions along with numerous sightings of leopards and cheetahs over the past several years" - Laly Lichtenfeld, co-founder and CEO of Tanzania People & Wildlife

This project is a part of the IUCN Save Our Species African Wildlife initiative, which is funded by the EU through its B4Life initiative. The African Wildlife initiative responds to conservation challenges facing key threatened species in sub-Saharan Africa. It delivers tangible results for species, habitats and people. Read the full story.

Beekeeping is also one of the activities being practiced by women in Pemba Island, part of the Zanzibar archipelago off the mainland of Tanzania - together with other activities like tree planting and nurturing kitchen gardens.

"Females were not allowed to participate in any development activity until recently," said Salma Zaharan, a Kiungoni Villager, who also stated that the project has raised awareness of the need to conserve the forests.

Besides empowering women, this makes part of the Global Climate Change Alliance Plus (GCCA+), a European Union flagship initiative which is helping the world's most vulnerable countries to address climate change. Read the full story.

Escazú Agreement for Latin America and the Caribbean

Environmental protection activists in the Latin American and Caribbean region have demanded better access to justice in environmental matters for many years. The entry into force of the new Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Escazu Agreement), negotiated by all thirty-three countries of Latin America and the Caribbean is a welcome step forward in this regard.

At a time when multilateralism is subject to criticism and where nationalist policies are on the rise, it is a hopeful sign that thirty-three American countries are coming together to protect the environment and its defenders. Read more .

Protecting biodiversity in Asia

Like its neighbours, Malaysia suffers from Asia's insatiable appetite for wildlife. In particular, the Endau-Rompin Landscape, one of three source sites in Malaysia where tigers still have a good chance of survival, is under great threat from poaching and extraction. Partners against Wildlife Crime is an EU-funded project which aims to disrupt illicit supply chains of wildlife.

The work in Malaysia focuses on enhancing tiger protection in the Endau-Rompin National Park, and pilot innovative and collaborative initiatives such as community-led patrolling, empowering communities and helping them to contribute in the protection of the biodiversity of their traditional lands.

Similar initiatives in Asia include the protection of turtles in Cambodia and the langur in Laos, to name but a few. 

Meanwhile in India, climate action, clean energy transition and biodiversity are at the heart of the EU-India partnership, with joint actions panning across areas like renewable Energy, water, sustainable urbanization, climate change and more. Today on the occasion of the Earth Day, to encourage the participation of citizens to come forward to take positive action to nurture and restore the earth one step at a time, the EU Delegation to India launches the #LeadTheGreenChange campaign, ahead of the upcoming CBD CoP 15.

Meet Eco MarEU who is in the game to lead the green change!

• EU participates in global Leaders Summit on Climate on Earth Day 2021
• Leaders' Summit on Climate (White House website)
• Earth Day (United Nations website)
• Entry into force of Escazú Agreement on Environmental Matters for Latin America and the Caribbean
• European Green Deal (background information)
• Climate change: what the EU is doing (background information)

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• DEVELOPMENT & SOCIETY
• PEACE & SECURITY
• HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS
• HUMAN RIGHTS

Humanity’s Attachment to Mother Earth

Caring for the Earth and for our environment seems to have been a notion dear to humankind since the dawn of time. Even to this day, many of those societies that are deemed “primitive” for having retained elements of a lifestyle that most human societies abandoned millennia ago exhibit, to some degree, a sense of protection of the Planet.

Nowadays, global climate change and environment and wildlife protection have never been more talked about, with the prospect of humankind irremediably damaging our Home. At the same time, this destruction of our environment is taking its toll on us: some natural resources such as oil, soil and fisheries are being used up, and subsequently conflicts and entrenched hunger are being exacerbated by this scarcity.

Our profligate use of the Planet is backfiring on us psychologically, as if we had a latent need to empathize with Earth’s condition, as if it were a person. Others even dare speak of a “Nature Deficit Disorder” in children.

As a clinical psychologist, I attempt to build theories about human emotions based on contact with individuals. I have been wondering about the implications of seeing the Planet as having a direct, spiritual and psychological relationship with every single one of us. Using the framework of psychoanalysis, symbolisms, and a touch of ecological philosophy, as well as research on ecology, I shall try to offer a perspective on the use of culture in our fight to protect our Earth.

Mother Earth

Symbols and depictions of Earth as a nurturer have been long present in human societies. For example, the Yggdrasil tree from Germanic mythology connects different parts of the world, and is revered by the gods themselves as a source of holiness and a symbol of life and power. In that same mythology, it is from two trees that mankind has been created, from the raw fabric of nature. The Christian Bible holds the creation of our species in the clay, an element born from the soil itself.

The Yggdrasil tree, from Germanic mythology, connects different parts of the world and is revered by the gods themselves as a source of holiness and a symbol of life and power.

Also, it is not uncommon to see the Earth being prayed to, and being invoked, as being the “Mother of Life”, and the mother of all living things in its dominion. Various peoples long to return to her, to her embrace, and bury their bodies in her, tying their souls with her mercy. Indeed, with such a focus on giving life and providing for us, no wonder that across many cultures, fertility deities are goddesses sharing a deep affinity with the Earth. They are portrayed as mothers, answering the prayers of their offspring.

Philosopher Mircea Eliade proposed a reflection about the “Mother Earth”. He compared Earth to the mother, on a symbolic level. Just like the mother, it is the first object of attachment that we encounter in the objective world. Earth holds us like a mother, it nurtures us like a mother does, providing food, chemicals, wood, and answering our every need in a seemingly omnipotent way, akin to the vision an infant has of its all-powerful mother until it has grown enough to fend for itself.

Moreover, clinical experience has demonstrated instances when patients separated from their homeland (immigrant workers, refugees, nomads) exhibit symptoms of depression and anxiety, echoing the situation of a child deprived of its mother’s care. The similarity comes from the feeling of abandonment from the loss of a familiar, known, secure, gratifying object.

Psychoanalyst Melanie Klein theorized, from her observation of babies, that an infant at some stage fears that it has “damaged” its mother by clinging to her and feeding off her, and this causes the child to enter a phase of depression subsequent to so much guilt. This guilt actually allows us to mature enough and form a psyche that can both withstand frustration and develop an ability to feel remorse.

Are we moved enough by the plight of the planet to question ourselves, deal with depression and make amends at the same time?

This would mean that guilt and the ensuing need to “repair” are experienced at the very early moments of our life. While these theories are quite controversial, the central message is that humankind is capable of developing a stable psyche because of our very deep capacity to feel bad about our actions, and to delve into a more ”gentle” identity and accept to make amends by learning, by “being good”, and then by repairing the damage we have caused. As children, we thrive on a “good enough mother” , rather than an all-powerful mother, and the guilt from damaging the mother, by claiming too much from her — in another form of all-powerfulness — is one step towards socialization and the integration of norms and values.

In practice, it is often very apparent in adults how many of their everyday actions have a source in their early interactions with their mothers. In regards to Earth, this is something that is quite apparent too: we do feel deeply moved by the consequences of our use of Earth and our all-powerfulness towards her.

One main question remains though: are we moved enough by the plight of the planet to question ourselves, deal with depression and make amends at the same time? If we are not, we should think of ways to allow ourselves to be moved by those feelings so familiar and yet so terrifying because they force us to confront the possibility that we are in fact powerless and our ultimate fear of becoming victims of something we cannot control at all — the revenge of she who created and fed, and on whom we depend for everything.

Culture as a mediator

Since the times of the ancient Egyptians, and even before, culture and its practice were a means to give hope to humankind by reassuring us about death, the separation from life and its benevolent sources, through rituals and rites. Various civilizations have harvest rites in order to honor the Earth: they have not only ecological and economic benefits, but also psychological ones. By recreating with symbols and reenactments our fantasies of immortality and reunion with the First Object, the Territory of Ultimate Gratifications, we create a psychic phenomenon that comforts us.

Moreover, cultural norms — delivered through the rites of passage and rituals — allow human beings to put a distance between them and topics too painful to deal with at an individual level, such as death and separation. By providing rules through which to respond to these situations, culture both protects and heals; it has the ability to connect with our deepest emotions.

From the Amazonian Yanomani, to the arctic Inuits, to the Namibian San, and even for people in urban areas, deep down we all harbour feelings of belonging to “a land”, and belonging to “the land”. Indeed, attachment to a place, to a scenery, to a soil that has nurtured us for generations, is one of the contributors to our sense of safety and our psychological stability. This need for a locus to lean on is vital to human existence.

Eco-activist and Noble Prize recipient Wangari Maathai was among the most audible voices arguing for a reconsideration of nature as an object deserving dignity and respect, and retribution. Personifying Earth, Maathai seems to be calling for a broader perspective on ecological issues, going beyond the traditional economic worries, and underlining the fight for our humanity and what exactly makes us human, through the fight for our Planet.

From the Amazonian Yanomani, to the arctic Inuits, to the Namibian San, and even for people in urban areas, deep down we all harbour feelings of belonging to “a land”, and belonging to “the land”.

The Chipko movement , led by Indian women, is an interesting example of very concrete activism, drawing on a humanization of nature and ideas of female empowerment. The Chipko movement emerged during the 70s as a form of non-violent ecological activism. Its members gathered to literally hug trees in order to prevent them being cut for industrial use. One of the movement’s supporters is renowned Indian philosopher and eco-feminist Dr. Vandana Shiva . Dr. Shiva linked the concerns of women to those of nature, stating that both were victims of a male-dominated, patriarchal society. In that vision, nature is brought back to its feminine aspect, and through identification with “her”, an emotional movement comes to life, to defend quite worldly causes.

To this day, some cultures of the world have retained a socially enforced protection of nature. That is to say that in their core cultural practices, they showcase ecological “militantism”.  The traditional bamanan society of Mali — among others — have a Totemic cult for every family. Based on one’s last name, people would be required to care for and protect a particular animal species. That allowed for a “quota” of killing in every animal population and actually regulated the biodiversity at the same time. Tales tell of instances when someone would transgress the totem and become “mad” as a curse. This might have been an expression of guilt over the breaking of sacred covenants. This example illustrates a will to interlink the fate of humans with nature, to such an extent that a person would socially or mentally alienate themselves when severing ties with nature.

Lights, camera, inaction

So, how could we use those timeless values with our current cultural productions to cater to our Mother Earth? One obvious medium, as a recent article on the rise of environmental documentaries has suggested, is through film.

French journalist Eric Neuhoff stated in a controversial review of French eco-activist Nicolas Hulot’s documentary Le Syndrome du Titanic that, after watching the movie, he simply wanted to pollute more. The main argument of Neuhoff’s review was that the movie was so disheartening in its depiction of the current global ecological situation that it actually sent out the message that it was too late and that the planet was doomed to die. In that documentary, Hulot chose to show vivid images of major ecological crises and their impact on food (for instance, droughts in Africa), and animals (carcasses in the wild), all the while only scarcely commenting, letting viewers emotionally engage with the matters at hand. Many critics praising the initiative also complained about the overall execution of the movie.

That contrasts with the film Home by Yann Arthus Bertrand , available free online, and its gorgeous images of our home, the Earth. Home garnered massive acclaim from both critics and viewers, as a message of “Love to Earth”, and optimistic affirmation of the need to protect it.

One major risk that all documentaries face is that they join the chorus of constant activism which may become tiresome for audiences after a while. One question we may raise is whether such frontal endeavours are not hindering the appeal to masses in this matter of environmental activism. Home’s message, however great the execution may have been and however legitimate the overall intention was, was deemed quite simplistic at times by critics, in that it mirrored the many, constant political speeches about the need to protect our home.

In integrating culture into the fight for the Earth through movies and other forms of cultural expression such as video games or music, we might have an opportunity to tap into deeper levels of attachment to our planet by speaking directly to our emotions. At present, activism is speaking mainly to rational thoughts about environmental decline and our associated guilt and fear.

Sure, betting on fear might be considered a useful tactic, but it bets on our anxiety towards the unknown. We could bet instead on the gratifying feelings of security and nurturing that lead us to love the Earth, and find our way in vows of love, protection of the Great Mother who we have damaged so much.

Ultimately, however, by appealing to emotions in addition to hard facts, through the magic of our cultural institutions, we can assist communities to find the strength necessary, to be empowered, ecologically savvy individuals, part of a global movement to save our collective mother, Earth. This should include communication through art forms such as cartoons, or video games, that have been categorized as “lowly” for some time. My own experiences as a clinical psychologist involved in “video game therapy” have opened my eyes on the many wonderful uses some superficially simple game may have when used properly.

So, should we be hugging trees to feel better on a psychological level? Maybe in a near future, we will each be put in charge of our own totem that we will have to protect and honour in our everyday life. At the very least, we know that educating individuals from an early age to be aware of nature, by drawing upon our emotional connection to nature and our cultural platforms, has proven useful in human societies before.

Oumar Konare

Oumar Konare is from Mali and is a former intern in the United Nations University Institute for Sustainability and Peace (UNU-ISP). After earning the title of clinical psychologist in France, he is now researching “The function of religion in the Muslim population of Mali” for his Ph.D. thesis. Konare’s interests include religious studies, culture and cultural practices as therapy, psychology in social and political contexts, and ethnic and group identity questions in the modern world.

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Saving Mother Earth from Climate Change

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As we approach Earth Day and our celebration of Madre Tierra (Mother Earth), most of us can't help but be concerned about her health and the impacts that climate change is having on her and our own lives.

The Earth is being ravaged by climate change and the evidence is overwhelming . The American Association for the Advancement of Science recently said: “Levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are rising. Temperatures are going up. Springs are arriving earlier. Ice sheets are melting. Sea level is rising. The patterns of rainfall and drought are changing. Heat waves are getting worse, as is extreme precipitation. The oceans are acidifying.”

In 2012, air pollution killed about 7 million people, and last year the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned of drastic effects ahead, including food shortages and civil strife in countries already struggling to meet the basic needs of their people. The impacts and the vulnerability of certain regions around the world , especially Latin America are more evident than ever before and only immediate action will help us  to avert even more harmful effects of climate change  to our children’s and grandchildren’s generations.  

A recent video by NRDC presents a visual picture of “What Global Warming Looks Like.” Watch it here: http://youtu.be/Bry-Flk2S2c

Fortunately, most Americans want action, now, and the Hispanic community is no exception. A recent poll by NRDC and Latino Decisions found Latinos overwhelmingly want the government and the President to act on the threat of climate change and cut carbon pollution. This national survey found  that 9 out of 10 Latinos in the U.S. support the government and president taking action to combat the threat of climate change  and cut the carbon pollution that drives climate change. Like polls that came before, this poll shows that Hispanics support the development of clean renewable energy sources and understand the importance of balancing economic and business interests with necessary regulations to clean our air and water to protect future generations and ensure a healthier, better future. As the largest minority group – 17% of our nation’s population is of Hispanic descent – we have the ability to move these solutions forward. 

In June 2013, President Obama announced his Climate Action Plan . This plan will substantially cut our nation’s carbon pollution putting in place better fuel efficiency for automobiles, promoting energy efficiency and directing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to work closely with states and industry to establish carbon pollution standards for new and existing power plants, which are responsible for 40 percent of the total carbon pollution. This is exactly what the Latino community wants and the message which we are working to deliver to policymakers loud and clear. 

These solutions not only solve the problem, they help to move our country and our economy forward. But moving these solutions forward requires that we voice our support. At Voces our leaders and organizational partners  from the business, medical and public health, and community sectors are prepared to advocate from the halls of Congress and state capitols, on the pages of national and local newspapers, and on the screens of television and computers. Polluters will be actively raising their voices to support continued pollution. Our children will be relying on us to stand up for them. Let’s show them that we are not taking anything for granted or waiting until the earth and its resources are gone. Our moral obligation to future generations and mother earth demands no less of us.

When you sign up, you’ll become a member of NRDC’s Activist Network. We will keep you informed with the latest alerts and progress reports.

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• UN Observances

When Mother Earth sends us a message

Mother Earth is clearly urging a call to action. Nature is suffering. Oceans filling with plastic and turning more acidic. Extreme heat , wildfires and floods, have affected millions of people. Even these days, we are still trying to get back on track from COVID-19 , a worldwide health pandemic linked to the health of our ecosystem.

Climate change , man-made changes to nature as well as crimes that disrupt biodiversity, such as deforestation, land-use change, intensified agriculture and livestock production or the growing illegal wildlife trade, can accelerate the speed of destruction of the planet.

This is the second Mother Earth Day celebrated within the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration . Ecosystems support all life on Earth. The healthier our ecosystems are, the healthier the planet - and its people. Restoring our damaged ecosystems will help to end poverty, combat climate change and prevent mass extinction. But we will only succeed if everyone plays a part.

For this International Mother Earth Day, let's remimd ourselves - more than ever - that we need a shift to a more sustainable economy that works for both people and the planet. Let’s promote harmony with nature and the Earth. Join the global movement to restore our world!

Let’s act now

There are multiple, feasible and effective options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to human-caused climate change, and they are available now, according to the last UN Climate Change report backed by science.

World Environment Situation Room

Data and knowledge on the environment.

UN Environment offers a web gallery where you can access data classified by theme and geographical area that has been transformed into attractive multimedia material to make it more understandable for all users.

Did you know?

• The planet is losing 4.7 million hectares of forests every year – an area larger than Denmark.
• A healthy ecosystem helps to protect us from these diseases. Biological diversity makes it difficult for pathogens to spread rapidly.
• It is estimated that around one million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction.

UN Interactive Dialogue to celebrate Earth Day

Join the interactive dialogue that will be streamed on Monday, 24 April (10 am - 1 pm, New York Time) through UN WebTV , where speakers will discuss how to live in harmony with nature instead of adopting an anthropocentric view in our relationship with Mother Earth. The Harmony with Nature interactive dialogues have allowed policymakers to learn about methodologies that enhance a balanced integration of the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.

Understanding climate change better

We all have a role in climate action. We must work together to meet the commitments of the 2015 Paris Agreement. But... what is exactly climate change and what does the Paris Agreement say? What actions are being taken and who is carrying them out? What are the latest scientific reports on the subject? Are we in time to save Mother Earth? Discover it here .

Why do we mark International Days?

International days and weeks are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool. We also mark other UN observances .

Mother Earth Essay

500+ words mother earth essay.

The planet we live on is also known as Mother Earth. This is due to its life-giving properties and resources that nurture all the living beings on Earth, just like a mother does. Our Mother Earth has nurtured us, provided food and shelter to us and cared for us to help us grow and evolve. But we humans haven’t reciprocated in kind, instead, we’re the cause of many of the problems that have put the planet at risk.

We have exploited our Mother Earth for many years by using its resources indiscriminately without giving anything back. We take over land by cutting down trees to build homes, industries, and more. And we don’t bother about the destroyed trees or plants or about planting them again. All this has led to environmental issues that have put our planet at risk of degradation and ruin. It is high time that we realised the need to save Mother Earth.

Why Should We Save Our Mother Earth?

Our planet is vital for our survival. Had it not been for the abundant resources available on Earth, we would not have been able to flourish on this planet. The excellent atmosphere, which contains gases, especially oxygen, ensures that life sustains on the planet. But the constant exploitation has led to the degradation of the planet and depletion of resources. We cannot wait for someone else to save our planet; we need to take action now. We should collectively work towards saving our Mother Earth because there’s no other planet to live on.

Human Activities Resulting in Damage to Mother Earth

1. Human-made Disasters

To satisfy our reckless needs and self-interests, we have exhausted most of the earth’s non-renewable resources. Many oil wells have been exhausted, compensating for the fuel needs of the growing population and countless vehicles. As a result, we have depleted all these precious energy sources and degraded the quality of life for other living beings.

2. Earthquakes and Air Pollution

The ever increasing demand for fossil fuels, such as coal, has led to constant digging and mining of the land. This is one of the primary reasons behind the frequent catastrophic disasters like earthquakes. Additionally, the toxic fumes and gases produced by the combustion of these fuels have increased air pollution and caused global warming.

3. Deforestation

The ever-expanding population means more need for land for habitation and factories. This has resulted in an enormous increase in deforestation. More and more trees are being cut to clear the land and build homes. Deforestation leads to the loosening of the soil, which means higher chances of floods, landslides and other disasters. Additionally, trees are the main source of oxygen, and lesser trees mean less breathable air and more greenhouse gases.

4. Extinction of Flora and Fauna Species

Constant deforestation leads to the loss of habitats. Wild animals have no place to live, and as a result, their chances of being hunted or killed also rise. This is the reason many animal species are becoming extinct. Small species like butterflies, birds etc., play an essential role in human survival. So, the more we exploit Mother Earth for our greed, the more we destroy.

5. Scarcity of Water

The diminishing forest areas are responsible for inferior air quality and disturbed water cycles. Lack of rain creates drought, and farmers face a significant challenge in irrigating crops. This again gives birth to more severe issues, such as scarcity of food and clean drinking water.

Measures to Save the Earth

The need of the hour is to take drastic measures on a large scale to help save our Mother Earth. But we can take simple measures as individuals too. We should spare the forests and revive them through afforestation and reforestation. Plants are essential for life on Earth to survive and sustain. They are necessary to maintain the harmony of the environment. We should also stop deforestation and clean up water bodies. Using water and other natural resources sparingly and efficiently also helps save Mother Earth.

A significant number of animal and bird species have been wiped out due to the destruction of their environment. They play a significant role in balancing the evolved way of life in nature and in saving our Mother Earth. The favourable conditions on Mother Earth for our survival have been reduced continuously because of deforestation, industrialisation, urbanisation, and contamination.

The government and individuals must come together to save the Earth. We can make people aware of the consequences of not taking care of the earth. They can be taught how to contribute to its protection. If this collective effort starts happening, we can save Earth.

Conclusion of Mother Earth Essay

In conclusion, the journey to save mother Earth is still in its early stages. But it is possible to restore Mother Earth and protect it if we take the right measures now. The Earth has everything that is necessary to sustain our existence, and that is why it is essential to save it from extinction. In the quest to save the Earth, further destruction should be prevented to impact the efforts.

We hope you found this essay on Mother Earth. For more CBSE Essays on different topics, visit BYJU’S website.

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