international mother earth day essay

Mother Earth Essay

Earth has many natural resources to help people live healthier lives. Mother Earth provides us with air, water, food and shelter. Writing a mother Earth essay helps children know the importance of protecting our planet.

Earth is a planet that hosts life and is inhabited by humans and other living beings. It is made out of rocks, metals, and gases. Earth is the only planet in our solar system where life can sustain and live on. Mother Earth is the third planet from the Sun and is home to more than seven billion people.

The Earth is a vital resource for life. We depend on it to grow plants, trees, and food. When we destroy the planet, we start destroying many things like the environment, our health and other things that help us survive. There are many ways to protect it, such as planting more trees, adopting a sustainable lifestyle etc.

The Earth is an amazing planet with various landscapes, ecosystems, and natural resources. It is essential to preserve them to ensure that future generations can enjoy the same unique beauty that we do now. To ensure this, it is crucial to have conservation programmes across the world. Environmental organisations have been around for decades, trying their best to protect the Earth’s biodiversity and promote environmental awareness.

Save Mother Earth

There are many ways to save this planet. Reducing our plastic consumption is one huge step that doesn’t require a lot of effort. By creating awareness about the consequences of our actions, we can save Mother Earth from global warming and other ecological problems.

The Earth is our home, and we should care for it. Our planet is precarious as a result of global warming, pollution, and a decreasing water level. It’s time to stop being complacent and take action.

Our planet is changing soon, and we need to act quickly. The best way to save Mother Earth is by reducing our carbon footprint. By setting sustainability goals and sticking to them, we can help make a difference in the planet’s health.

Another way to help save the planet is to reduce our carbon emissions. Governments around the world have already adopted various plans and laws to achieve this, but it is not easy.

Today, people are starting to realise their everyday actions that affect the Earth. They also recognise the need to start doing more responsible things to protect their future. Fortunately, there is a way for everyone to make a positive difference in the world: by adopting recycling and other eco-friendly strategies. While going green sounds difficult, it has become easier with advancements in today’s technology.

Frequently Asked Questions on Mother Earth Essay

How to save mother earth.

Saving our planet is everyone’s duty. We can start doing this by segregating wet and dry waste, avoiding mining activities, reducing plastic usage and stopping deforestation.

What are the causes of pollution?

The causes of pollution are industrial emissions, usage of harmful chemicals, plastic usage, mining and agricultural activities, transportation and many more.

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António Guterres (UN Secretary-General) on International…

19 April 2023

António Guterres (UN Secretary-General) on International Mother Earth Day

On International Mother Earth Day, we reflect on humanity's most important relationship — our relationship with the natural world. 

From the air we breathe to the water we drink to the soil that grows our food – humanity's health depends on the health of Mother Earth. 

Yet we seem hellbent on destruction.

Our actions are laying waste to forests, jungles, farmland, wetlands, oceans, coral reefs, rivers, seas, and lakes.

Biodiversity is collapsing as one million species teeter on the brink of extinction.

We must end these relentless and senseless wars on nature.

We have the tools, the knowledge, and the solutions. But we must pick up the pace.

We need accelerated climate action with deeper, faster emissions cuts to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degree Celsius. We also need massively scaled-up investments in adaptation and resilience, particularly for the most vulnerable countries and communities who have done the least to cause the crisis. 

Healthy ecosystems — from oceans and rivers to forests and prairies — are also critical in our fight against climate change. Let's get to work to implement the historic UN biodiversity agreement to ensure that 30 per cent of Earth's land and water is protected by 2030. 

At every step, governments must lead the way. But corporations, institutions and civil society also have a vital role.

Finally, we must learn from the time-won wisdom, knowledge and leadership of Indigenous Peoples, whose environmental stewardship stretches back millennia, and who hold many of the solutions to the world's climate and biodiversity crises.

This Earth Day, I urge people everywhere to raise your voices – in your schools, workplaces and faith communities, and on social media platforms – and demand leaders make peace with nature.

Let us all do our part to protect our common home for the sake of people and planet right now, and for the generations to come.

International Mother Earth Day (22 April)

United Nations

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UNIS/SGSM/1309 19 April 2023

The Secretary-General

Message on international mother earth day, 22 april 2023.

On International Mother Earth Day, we reflect on humanity’s most important relationship — our relationship with the natural world.

From the air we breathe to the water we drink to the soil that grows our food – humanity’s health depends on the health of Mother Earth.

Yet we seem hellbent on destruction.

Our actions are laying waste to forests, jungles, farmland, wetlands, oceans, coral reefs, rivers, seas, and lakes.

Biodiversity is collapsing as one million species teeter on the brink of extinction.

We must end these relentless and senseless wars on nature.

We have the tools, the knowledge, and the solutions. But we must pick up the pace.

We need accelerated climate action with deeper, faster emissions cuts to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degree Celsius. We also need massively scaled-up investments in adaptation and resilience, particularly for the most vulnerable countries and communities who have done the least to cause the crisis.

Healthy ecosystems — from oceans and rivers to forests and prairies — are also critical in our fight against climate change. Let’s get to work to implement the historic UN biodiversity agreement to ensure that 30 per cent of Earth’s land and water is protected by 2030.

At every step, governments must lead the way. But corporations, institutions and civil society also have a vital role.

Finally, we must learn from the time-won wisdom, knowledge and leadership of Indigenous Peoples, whose environmental stewardship stretches back millennia, and who hold many of the solutions to the world’s climate and biodiversity crises.

This Earth Day, I urge people everywhere to raise your voices – in your schools, workplaces and faith communities, and on social media platforms – and demand leaders make peace with nature.

Let us all do our part to protect our common home for the sake of people and planet right now, and for the generations to come.

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SECRETARY-GENERAL’S MESSAGE FOR INTERNATIONAL MOTHER EARTH DAY

New York, 22 April 2021

As we mark International Mother Earth Day, our planet is at a tipping point.

Humanity continues to abuse the natural world.

We heedlessly plunder the Earth’s resources, deplete its wildlife and treat air, land and seas as dumping grounds.

Crucial ecosystems and food chains are being pushed to the brink of...

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Mother Earth Day

International Mother Earth Day , observed within the UN decade on ecosystem restoration, serves as a poignant reminder of the urgent need for action to address the challenges faced by our planet. Mother Earth is sending a clear call to action as nature suffers from a multitude of crises, including plastic pollution in oceans, rising acidity levels, extreme weather events like wildfires and floods, and disruptions to biodiversity.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) , approximately 8 million tons of plastic waste enter the oceans each year, endangering marine life and ecosystems. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that global temperatures have already risen by 1.1 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, leading to more frequent and severe weather events.

Furthermore, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) reports that wildlife populations have declined by 68% on average since 1970, primarily due to habitat destruction, pollution, and unsustainable consumption. These alarming statistics highlight the pressing need for concerted efforts to restore and protect our planet's ecosystems.

Climate change, human-induced alterations to natural landscapes, and crimes against biodiversity such as deforestation, land-use changes, intensified agriculture, and illegal wildlife trade are accelerating the destruction of our planet. These activities not only harm ecosystems but also impact human lives and livelihoods. For instance, deforestation contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, exacerbating climate change and threatening the stability of ecosystems worldwide.

Restoring ecosystems is crucial for ending poverty, combating climate change, and preventing mass extinction. Healthy ecosystems support all life on Earth, contributing to the well-being of both the planet and its inhabitants. However, achieving restoration goals requires collective action from individuals, communities, governments, and organizations worldwide.

On this Mother Earth Day, let us commit to restoring and protecting our planet. Each one of us has a role to play in preserving biodiversity, reducing our ecological footprint, and promoting sustainable practices. Together, we can create a healthier, more resilient Earth for future generations. This commitment aligns with UN Global Goal 15 - Life on Land , which aims to protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems.

More information: https://www.un.org/en/observances/earth-day

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Essay on Save Mother Earth

List of essays on save mother earth, essay on save mother earth – short essay (essay 1 – 200 words), essay on save mother earth – for kids and children (essay 2 – 250 words), essay on save mother earth – 10 lines on save mother earth written in english (essay 3 – 300 words), essay on save mother earth – for school students (class 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 standard) (essay 4 – 400 words), essay on save mother earth (essay 5 – 500 words), essay on save mother earth – for college and university students (essay 6 – 750 words), essay on save mother earth – long essay on “save mother earth” (essay 7 – 1000 words).

Save Mother Earth is the popular slogan that creates awareness about saving the Earth from destruction. We all know that Earth is the only planet that has life on it.

As of now, it is clear that this planet has been a gift for us humans and other living things that have all the facilities we need, naturally. From air to water to food, everything is provided to us by Earth and thus we call it Mother Earth. Had it not been the beautiful environment and the availability of resources on the earth we could not have existed.

But, what have we done to our mother earth? We have exploited earth for our own interests and today the planet we call our mother, faces the threat of extinction of life on its soil just because of our ill practices. The pollution levels are an all-time high, the resources are fast depleting. We must have adequate measures in place to save our mother earth.

Audience: The below given essays are exclusively written for school students (Class 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 Standard).

Introduction:

The predicament of the present situation calls us to save Mother Earth. From the earliest hunting age to the current technological age, man has had a definite impact on the environment. He had been exploiting natural resources to achieve economic growth. Without plans to replenish them, it has caused serious damage to Earth.

How to Save Mother Earth:

Personal Level:

The responsibility to save Mother Earth starts from personal level. In our daily activities, though we could afford, we should restrain ourselves from using energy excessively. Simple decisions to reduce the use of water, electricity, transportation etc., could mean a lot in this direction. By being a model to others in our activities, we can bring about the required social change.

Corporate Level:

Governments across countries and stakeholders are creating the awareness to save Mother Earth. Afforestation, rain water harvesting, recycling waste, cutting industrial pollution etc., are some efforts of the various Governments. Observing International Earth Day and Earth Hour every year generates sensitivity to the issue. The Paris Agreement of 2015 is the latest corporate step to keep the damages to the earth in check.

Conclusion :

A Mother is the source of life. Causing a mother to suffer cuts the life supply due to the child. So, to save Mother Earth is to save us children, in turn. With our combined efforts, it is possible to restore her former resources and glory. In the process, we would also contribute to the welfare of the future generations.

The present state of the earth has become extremely challenging to the healthy and continual existence of this earth and life, as we know it is due to the air pollution, toxic environment, global warming, water pollution, deforestation and a host of other environmental problems. There are many ways we can use to save the earth.

Saving our planet largely depends on the good habit and dedication of all of us doing our part and contributing our best to saving the earth. The development and use of technologies that is environmental friendly so that we would not harm the mother earth. We should try to embrace the reduction in usage of things that are harmful to the environment, employ the re-usage and also the recycle of goods and things so that a lesser amount of wastes can be generated.

A lot of people employ the use of a mix of house cleansers to keep the house disinfected and clean. Neglecting the fact that a lot of the chemicals used in most of these house cleansers are extremely dangerous to soil, water and air.

We should find out and discover the constituents of all the products we use in our daily activities and try as much as possible to use only products that are eco-friendly. Commercial industries are leading contributors to global warming and various forms of pollution like air pollution, soil pollution, water pollution and others. Government made laws, regulations and rules should be put in place to help battle pollution and also global warming.

Save Mother Earth is the popular slogan that creates awareness about saving the Earth from destruction. We all know that Earth is the only planet that has life on it. As of now, it is clear that this planet has been a gift for us humans and other living things that have all the facilities we need, naturally. From air to water to food, everything is provided to us by Earth and thus we call it Mother Earth.

We are exploiting our so-called Mother Earth for many years by using its resources vulgarly and without giving back anything for its further growth. For example, to live we are exploiting many lands by cutting down trees to build home, industry and more. But we don’t bother about the destroyed trees or plants and we don’t bother about planting them again. We pollute the atmosphere through vehicles and industries, then we live our future being diseased. It high time that we realize the need to save mother Earth.

To deal with the above problems and to save Mother Earth, we need to adopt various measures of conservation. Ways to save Mother Earth includes planting more and more trees, using renewable sources of energy, reducing the wastage of water, saving electricity, reducing the use of plastic, conservation of non-renewable resources, conserving the different flora and faunas, taking steps to reduce pollution, etc.

Creating awareness among the public through different programs, dramas, etc., can also be helpful to save Mother Earth.

To save our Mother earth, it is important to move on to a more sustainable way of living. Sustainable means we should keep the resources and use them wisely keeping in mind that our future generations should also be getting a part of it. This type of thought will help us to use nature, care for it more and ultimately save Mother Earth.

Our beautiful planet Earth is 4.543 billion years old. Arguably, it is the only planet which has thriving life. Scientists around the world claim that the Earth has moulded itself, such that different living species can thrive on it and hence aptly it is called as the Mother Earth.

Grave Issues:

Every year 22 nd April is celebrated as the ‘Earth Day’ to create awareness on environmental issues. But it is indeed a matter of serious concern that our planet is facing large scale issues for its survival. The cradle of life on Earth is Oxygen and it is provided by the lush green trees. The biggest menace in recent times is the rapid deforestation that has resulted in colossal climate change. Horrendous calamities like Tsunami, typhoons, volcano eruption, drought, sudden downpour of heavy rainfall and many more are witnessing around the year.

The resilient shield of our planet that protects us from harmful UV rays coming from the Sun is the Ozone Layer in the Stratosphere of our atmosphere. Greenhouse gasses released from the Earth are damaging the Ozone layer by creating Black Holes. So many beautiful species of Animals and Birds like the Indian Cheetah and the Pink headed Duck are extinct due to heavy hunting and human intrusion in wildlife. The National Animal of India, the Bengal Tiger is on the brink of extinction.

Measures to be taken:

Stringent measures must be adopted to save our planet from the havoc created by climate change. In India mostly all of the Forests are under government jurisdiction of the Central and State Forest Departments. The Indian Government has enforced various projects for forest conservation and projects like the SAVE TIGER PROJECT for Conservation of wild animals. The Green India Mission, (nodal agency MoEFCC), is launched under the National Action Plan for Climate Change NAPCC to mitigate the effects of climate change.

The Swatch Bharat Abhiyan embarked on October 2, 2014 at Rajghat, New Delhi has been the biggest cleanliness drive ever undertaken in India. To save the environment Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi gave the edifying mantra ‘Pehle Shauchalaya, Phir Devalaya’ (first toilets, then temples) to encourage hygienic practices. Various NGOs (Non-Government Organizations) in India are actively working to educate common people on environment preservation.

Conclusion:

Mahatma Gandhi once said, “What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and one another”. All Indians must pledge to contribute in every way possible by adopting environmentally friendly lifestyle to conserve the environment and save Mother Earth.

Which planet do you consider as the most beautiful planet in our solar system? For most of us, the answer to this question would be our own planet Earth. Such is the beauty of the Earth that is has allowed so much life to originate and sustain on its soil. For India, especially Earth is regarded not just as a planet alone, but it is treated as our mother. But do we really care about our mother as we should really do? Are we not responsible for the deteriorating resources and condition of our 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 along with the adequate atmosphere containing gases, especially oxygen and carbon-dioxide, we would not have been able to flourish on this planet. Therefore, should we not be instrumental in saving our mother Earth when it is fighting for its existence and that due to our own misdeeds?

What led to the damage on the earth?

In the older times, individuals were not associated with damaging works, so there was no dread of contamination and other ecological issues. After the steady growth in the population, individuals began creating urban communities and ventures for the advanced way of life and simple life for everybody. For industrialization, man got the hang of abusing the common assets past the limit.

Individuals got engaged with deforestation which brought about the elimination of different wild creatures, contamination, and a dangerous global warming. Because of the unnatural weather change, the defensive ozone layer got a gap, ascend in ocean level, liquefying of ice tops of Antarctica and Greenland, and so on negative changes happened.

Measures to Save the Earth:

There are different simple ways which can be useful in saving our mother earth. We should spare woods through afforestation and reforestation. Plants are the most essential need of life whether people, creatures or other living things. They give us sustenance, oxygen, protection, fuel, medications, security, and furniture. They are exceptionally important to keep up the regular harmony between condition, atmosphere, climate, and environment. We should also deal with the natural life by halting deforestation and advancing reforestation.

A great number of animal groups and feathered creatures have been wiped out as a result of the annihilation of their environment. They are extremely important to adjust the evolved way of life in nature and save our mother Earth. The favourable conditions available on our mother Earth for our survival have been reduced continuously because of deforestation, industrialization, urbanization, and contamination.

It is affecting the lives through a worldwide temperature alteration and atmosphere changes in light of the release of carbon dioxide and other ozone-harming substances in the atmosphere. There is an urgent requirement to change urban communities into Eco-urban communities to keep up the environmental equalization in the air. The respective governments of the bigger and wealthier nations need to cooperate as well to bring worldwide changes. Then only we can have a better Earth and a better tomorrow for our next generations.

The earth is home for all of us and it is our responsibility to ensure that it is sustained and minded. Earth has been termed “mother nature” or “mother earth” basically because of its productive, nurturing and life-giving nature, which is complimentary to the roles of a mother. The earth is kind to humans but humans are ungrateful and they return unkindness to it by destroying it.

Destruction of nature was first observed in early 19 th century and it has been progressive and extensive such that campaigns like “save mother earth” have been initiated. The destruction in nature began with the industrialization and modernization, whose processes caused a change in the physical and biological nature of the earth and the ecosystem. Through modernization, natural habitats have been destroyed in attempts to come up with modern structures. Pollution is generally due to human activity. Since humans cause the destruction of Mother Earth, they should be equally responsible for saving Mother Earth.

The Importance of Saving Mother Earth:

In as much as the destruction of earth affects the animate and the inanimate objects on the surface of the earth and it is important that nature is restored. The earth is all we have, without it, life would not be imaginable. The beauty of nature is what we live for as humans. Imagine the sunrise you smile at in the morning gone or the oceans waves that give you peace all gone? It would be very ugly out there and nothing to admire as nature is gone. In the campaign to save mother earth, the ultimate goal is to sustain the remaining nature and restore those that are destructed.

Human life is dependent on breathing fresh and clean air. The air pollution that is currently trending shows how much contamination is in the air we breathe. Planting of trees is a way of restoring clean air because more oxygen will be released to the atmosphere by trees as they take in carbon dioxide. It is important to save the earth because of the provisions that help sustain animal and human life especially food and water. Water pollution is a worrying situation because water is an essential life sustaining provision of mother earth.

Ways of Saving Mother Earth:

Efforts made to save mother earth are focused on restoration of nature and mitigation of destruction of nature. In preventing further destruction through pollution of the environment, policies like recycling of all things that can be recycled have been implemented globally. Things like plastic bags and bottles are not biodegradable and therefore disposal is discouraged that is why emphasis on recycling has been made. Conservation of environmental resources through conservative measures. The conservative measures include sparingly using energy and water.

The other way of saving mother earth is through education so that people are aware of the importance of nature, which will motivate them to contribute in the process. It is important to participate in the cleaning actions whereby we do not throw away trash and pick up any trash we find laying around inappropriately. Planting trees is a very effective way of saving the earth because through trees, oxygen is replenished, rain formation is enabled and soil is protected from erosion. Wildlife protection is also a way of preserving nature because wildlife forms a part of the beautiful nature and their existence is important.

The environment occupies majority of the earth and its destruction has been massive over the years. Environmental pollution affects the ecosystem and causes adverse effects to animate and inanimate objects on earth. Environment can be saved by controlling and preventing pollution. The cleaning act can also be implemented so as to get rid of pollutants that are already in the environment.

Undoing the damage of pollution of the environment is a tasking responsibility that is mandatory for the general wellbeing of the earth inhabitants. Through the process of restoring nature, challenges are faced especially in those natural aspects that are somehow impossible to restore e.g., the ozone layer. The ozone layer is destroyed yet restoration does not seem to be made a reality.

In conclusion, the journey to save mother earth is still at its early stages but through the strategies that have been put in place, it is possible to restore Mother Earth and protect it. In the quest to save the earth, further destruction should be prevented so that the efforts made have an impact. The earth basically has everything that sustains our existence and that is why it is important to save it from extinction.

Our earth is our mother. It infuses life within and nourishes us to grow. And in return, asks for nothing but love and care. For the past few decades, harmful human activities have damaged our planet Earth in many ways. The useful natural resources are diminishing at a rapid rate and the living conditions are becoming worse.

More than 3/4th of the earth is covered with water and the rest is land made of various geographical features, such as mountains, valleys, plateaus, etc. There are two types of resources used by human beings.

The renewable resources include the sunlight, wind, soil etc., which are available abundantly. Whereas the non-renewable resources include oil, gas, fossil fuel, coal, forests, metals, and minerals, etc., the supply of which is quite limited.

Human Activities Resulting in Damage to Mother Earth:

1. Man-Made Disasters:

To satisfy our reckless needs and self-interests, we have exhausted most of the non-renewable resources of the earth. As a result, not only we have depleted all these precious energy sources but also degraded the quality of life for other living beings as well. For instance, compensating the fuel needs for the growing population and a countless number of vehicles, many oil wells have been exhausted.

2. Earthquakes and Air Pollution:

The maddening demand for fossil fuels such as coal and ores has led to consistent digging and mining of the land. This is one of the major reasons behind the frequent catastrophic earthquakes. On top of that, the fumes and gases produced by the combustion of these fuels have increased the pollution level in the air and caused global warming at a serious level.

3. Deforestation:

Likewise, the expanding wants of land for inhabitation purposes, for setting up factories, and buildings have resulted in enormous deforestation. More and more trees are being cut to clear the land and build homes. Its negative effects are plenty. Deforestation is leading to loosening of the soil which means higher chances of flood.

4. Extinction of Flora and Fauna Species:

Wild animals have no places to live. As a result, their chances of being hunted or killed also rise. This is the reason, many animal species are becoming extinct. Smaller species like honey bees, butterflies, and birds play an essential role in the survival of human beings. In the absence of vegetation, the number of sparrows and honey bees is falling rapidly.

5. Scarcity of Water:

Diminishing forest areas are responsible for inferior air and disturbed water cycle. Lack of rain creates drought and farmers face a big challenge when it comes to irrigating the crops. This again gives birth to more serious issues such as scarcity of food and clean drinking water.

6. The Use of Toxic Materials:

The widespread dependency on plastic products is nothing less than a curse. Its repercussions are clearly visible now. Plastic is non-degradable and now it has reached everywhere. From the biggest species of whales to cows to the small birds, all have fallen victim to its aftermath.

Measures Taken To Save Our Earth:

To deal with these grave concerns, both developed and developing countries have started taking some major steps. Cancellation of license in case an organization fails to follow the basic guidelines of eco-friendliness is one of them.

1. Afforestation:

A lot of trees are being planted to make up for the lost vegetation. Emphasis is being given on using the natural resources carefully. People are gradually understanding the importance of using natural and renewable resources instead of non-renewable ones.

2. Use of Renewable Resources:

Solar panels, eco-friendly vehicles, recycling the garbage, and minimizing the plastic products are some of them. So many advertisements and popular slogans are being made to create awareness among the common public. If we truly love our mother earth, we must work together without any delay.

3. Water Conservation:

Water is the basis of our lives. And yet so many people in the world have no or negligible access to safe, clean drinking water. In some parts of the world, both men and women have to walk several miles to arrange water for sanitation purposes also.

As far as possible, we should never waste water. We must also teach the younger ones to close the tap when it is not in use or to use the kitchen water in the garden. During the summer season, keep some clean water in a bowl or haudi for the little birds, cows, dogs, and other such creatures.

4. Saving Electricity:

Saving electricity would also help our earth and make it less vulnerable as there is a lesser load on the earth’s natural resources. For this reason, the world celebrates what is known as the Earth Hour on the last Saturday of every March.

People in the world switch off their unnecessary lights together for an hour and display their support in saving the earth. Similarly, Earth Day is also celebrated every year on 22nd April to organize several events showing the urgency of protecting the planet.

5. Awareness in Common Public:

Today, students of all the age groups are being taught about the concept of 3Rs. This 3Rs stand for reduce, reuse, and recycle. In other words, we should reduce consumption and not allow any wastage of things such as food, water, electricity, and fuel, etc.

We should reuse materials such as bottles, old pots, cloth bags, newspapers, wood, old books, etc. And lastly, recycle all the biodegradable and eco-friendly things like an old piece of cloth, peels of vegetables and fruits, old papers, wooden stuff.

Little steps taken by one person can leave a great impact on the health of our planet. Whenever possible, walk to the nearby market. Take the stairs instead of lifts. Get your friends or colleagues to pool a car for going to the office. Be kind to the other creatures also. Plant one tree if not more.

We all should also participate in the volunteer works and make efforts to keep our neighbourhood and planet clean and green. Instead of throwing it away, recycle the kitchen garbage. Remember to arrange for a regular servicing of your vehicles.

Discourage the use of polythenes and other plastic materials. Take a cloth bag when going for grocery shopping. Conserve water and inspire others to do so as well. Save your mother earth!

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Message on International Mother Earth Day

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Celebrating Mother Earth, 45 Years On

It is that special Day once again. And, as noted over at Climate Progress , since coming into existence at the dawn of the environmental movement in 1970, Earth Day has grown into a global phenomenon that can stretch into a full week or month.

“Earth Day just keeps getting bigger,” Kathleen Rogers, president of Earth Day Network (EDN), told ThinkProgress. “The developing world has really embraced it.”

And that embrace is vividly illustrated in the results of a new global survey of 28,000 people in 23 countries, released this week by German research firm GfK. The findings show that people in some countries feel much more responsibility for being eco-friendly than others. While internationally 63 percent of those polled say they feel guilty when they do something that is not environmentally friendly, in India and Indonesia that jumped to 85 and 83 percent respectively.

Rogers said that what these communities most latch onto is a notion EDN calls “environmental democracy” which involves giving people the skills — through civic action, town hall meetings, letter writing campaign — to engage in ways they couldn’t before.

Is this enthusiasm due perhaps to the fact that the citizens of these countries have not yet become quite as enamoured with consumerism and have thus not become as greatly distanced from the planet and its life-sustaining natural processes and goods?

In regards to the health of our relationships with Mother Earth, we thought we would share this very essential essay. Robin Wall Kimmerer, founding director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, argues that calling the natural world “it” absolves us of moral responsibility and opens the door to exploitation. If we follow her advice as to what we can say instead, maybe we can hope for a near future in which every day is Earth Day.

Photo: Alexandra Gómez . Creative Commons BY-NC (cropped).

Nature Needs a New Pronoun: To Stop the Age of Extinction, Let’s Start by Ditching “It”

by Robin Wall Kimmerer, for the spring issue of Yes! Magazine .

Singing whales, talking trees, dancing bees, birds who make art, fish who navigate, plants who learn and remember. We are surrounded by intelligences other than our own, by feathered people and people with leaves. But we’ve forgotten. There are many forces arrayed to help us forget — even the language we speak.

I’m a beginning student of my native Anishinaabe language, trying to reclaim what was washed from the mouths of children in the Indian Boarding Schools. Children like my grandfather. So I’m paying a lot of attention to grammar lately. Grammar is how we chart relationships through language, including our relationship with the Earth.

Imagine your grandmother standing at the stove in her apron and someone says, “Look, it is making soup. It has gray hair.” We might snicker at such a mistake; at the same time we recoil. In English, we never refer to a person as “it.” Such a grammatical error would be a profound act of disrespect. “It” robs a person of selfhood and kinship, reducing a person to a thing.

And yet in English, we speak of our beloved Grandmother Earth in exactly that way: as “it.” The language allows no form of respect for the more-than-human beings with whom we share the Earth. In English, a being is either a human or an “it.”

Objectification of the natural world reinforces the notion that our species is somehow more deserving of the gifts of the world than the other 8.7 million species with whom we share the planet. Using “it” absolves us of moral responsibility and opens the door to exploitation. When Sugar Maple is an “it” we give ourselves permission to pick up the saw. “It” means it doesn’t matter.

But in Anishinaabe and many other indigenous languages, it’s impossible to speak of Sugar Maple as “it.” We use the same words to address all living beings as we do our family. Because they are our family.

What would it feel like to be part of a family that includes birches and beavers and butterflies? We’d be less lonely. We’d feel like we belonged. We’d be smarter.

In indigenous ways of knowing, other species are recognized not only as persons, but also as teachers who can inspire how we might live. We can learn a new solar economy from plants, medicines from mycelia, and architecture from the ants. By learning from other species, we might even learn humility.

Colonization, we know, attempts to replace indigenous cultures with the culture of the settler. One of its tools is linguistic imperialism, or the overwriting of language and names. Among the many examples of linguistic imperialism, perhaps none is more pernicious than the replacement of the language of nature as subject with the language of nature as object. We can see the consequences all around us as we enter an age of extinction precipitated by how we think and how we live.

Let me make here a modest proposal for the transformation of the English language, a kind of reverse linguistic imperialism, a shift in worldview through the humble work of the pronoun. Might the path to sustainability be marked by grammar?

Language has always been changeable and adaptive. We lose words we don’t need anymore and invent the ones we need. We don’t need a worldview of Earth beings as objects anymore. That thinking has led us to the precipice of climate chaos and mass extinction. We need a new language that reflects the life-affirming world we want. A new language, with its roots in an ancient way of thinking.

If sharing is to happen, it has to be done right, with mutual respect. So, I talked to my elders. I was pointedly reminded that our language carries no responsibility to heal the society that systematically sought to exterminate it. At the same time, others counsel that “the reason we have held on to our traditional teachings is because one day, the whole world will need them.” I think that both are true.

English is a secular language, to which words are added at will. But Anishinaabe is different. Fluent speaker and spiritual teacher Stewart King reminds us that the language is sacred, a gift to the People to care for one another and for the Creation. It grows and adapts too, but through a careful protocol that respects the sanctity of the language.

He suggested that the proper Anishinaabe word for beings of the living Earth would be Bemaadiziiaaki. I wanted to run through the woods calling it out, so grateful that this word exists. But I also recognized that this beautiful word would not easily find its way to take the place of “it.” We need a simple new English word to carry the meaning offered by the indigenous one. Inspired by the grammar of animacy and with full recognition of its Anishinaabe roots, might we hear the new pronoun at the end of Bemaadiziiaaki, nestled in the part of the word that means land?

“Ki” to signify a being of the living Earth. Not “he” or “she,” but “ki.” So that when we speak of Sugar Maple, we say, “Ohthat beautiful tree, ki is giving us sap again this spring.” And we’ll need a plural pronoun, too, for those Earth beings. Let’s make that new pronoun “kin.” So we can now refer to birds and trees not as things, but as our earthly relatives. On a crisp October morning we can look up at the geese and say, “Look, kin are flying south for the winter. Come back soon.”

Language can be a tool for cultural transformation. Make no mistake: “Ki” and “kin” are revolutionary pronouns. Words have power to shape our thoughts and our actions. On behalf of the living world, let us learn the grammar of animacy. We can keep “it” to speak of bulldozers and paperclips, but every time we say “ki,” let our words reaffirm our respect and kinship with the more-than-human world. Let us speak of the beings of Earth as the “kin” they are.

Robin Wall Kimmerer wrote this article for Together, With Earth , the Spring 2015 issue of YES! Magazine. YES! Magazine encourages you to make free use of this article by taking these easy steps .

Robin is the founding director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry . Her book Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants (Milkweed Editions) was published in October 2014.

Carol Smith

Carol is a journalist with a green heart who believes that presenting information in a positive and accessible manner is essential to activating more people to join the search for equitable and sustainable solutions to global problems. A native of Montreal, Canada, she joined the UNU communications team in 2008 while living in Tokyo and, after relocating to Vancouver, continued to telecommute to Our World as writer/editor through 2015.

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Earth Day: 5 ways we’re working to heal our planet and combat climate change

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International Mother Earth Day is a chance to reflect on how humanity has been treating our planet, and let’s face it: we’ve been poor custodians. And while a steady stream of IPCC reports has painted a legitimately worrying picture of the current state of the planet, don’t lose hope – here's why: there are more innovative ideas for serious climate action than ever and around the world, people are working together on solutions to help repair the damage that’s been done to our fragile home.

But before we get to the exciting stuff, there’s no denying the gravity of the problem.

The Earth is facing a ‘triple planetary crisis’: climate disruption, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste.

“This triple crisis is threatening the well-being and survival of millions of people around the world. The building blocks of happy, healthy lives – clean water, fresh air, a stable and predictable climate – are in disarray, putting the Sustainable Development Goals in jeopardy”, the UN Secretary-General warns in a video message for Earth Day 2022.

The good news is that there is still hope, António Guterres stresses, reminding us that 50 years ago, the world came together in Stockholm for the pivotal UN Conference on the Human Environment , which kickstarted a global movement.

“Since then, we have seen what is possible when we act as one . We have shrunk the ozone hole. We have expanded protections for wildlife and ecosystems. We have ended the use of leaded fuel, preventing millions of premature deaths. And just last month, we launched a landmark global effort to prevent and end plastic pollution”.

We have proven that together, we can tackle monumental challenges.

The positive developments have not stopped there, the recently recognized right to a healthy environment is gaining traction and young people are more engaged than ever in the combat to take on our planetary threats.

“We have proven that together, we can tackle monumental challenges”, Mr. Guterres says.

Of course, much more needs to be done – and more quickly – to protect our home, but to celebrate Earth Day , we want to highlight five projects being implemented around the world right now aimed at repairing the damage we have caused.

These solutions are just some of the founding initiatives of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration , a global rallying cry launched last year to heal our planet. It aims to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and ocean.

So here are 5 ways that we (humans) are working to restore our ailing Earth:

1. Converting coal mines into carbon sinks

In Appalachia, a geographical and cultural region in the eastern United States that includes Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia and is named after the Appalachian Mountains, the NGO Green Forests Work (GFW) is restoring forests on lands impacted by coal surface mining projects.

Surface mining is a technique used when coal is less than 200 feet underground. Large machines remove the topsoil and layers of rock and expose coal seams. Miners might also dynamite the tops of mountains and remove them to access the seams.

Once the mining is completed, what was once a forest is often converted into grasslands often composed of non-native species. This means, of course, the loss of large tracts of forested areas and the displacement and even loss of species.

To reverse this incredible damage, since 2009, Green Forests Work has been restoring mined lands by planting nearly 4 million native trees across more than 6,000 acres.

“Many mined lands are among the best places to plant trees for the purposes of mitigating climate change. Because the soils of reclaimed mined lands initially have very little organic carbon, they can serve as carbon sinks for decades, if not centuries, as the forests grow and build the soils,” Michael French, GFW Director of Operations explains to UN News.

He adds that by restoring native forests to these lands, they are restoring the ecosystem services they provide to society, including clean air and water, improved wildlife habitat, climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration, as well as a sustainable economic resource base. 

“We at GFW hope that everyone is able to get out and experience the wonders of the natural world and make their own contribution to improving the world around them this Earth Day and every day,” Mr. French highlights.

2. Restoring ecosystem connectivity

Twenty years ago, a satellite photograph of Australia’s south-western corner showing the vast extent of natural vegetation lost due to human activity since the European settlement inspired a group of activists to form Gondwana Link.

The image showed how two-thirds of the vegetation in the region had been cleared across thousands of kilometres, and, over much of the agricultural region, many areas had less than 5-10 per cent of their original bushland (natural undeveloped areas) left.

They realized, however, that many biodiversity hotspots remained intact in conservation areas, although disconnected, across 1000 kilometres.

Even the largest patches of natural habitats are unable to guarantee the survival or continued evolution of species if they remain isolated from each other. Many bird and animal species are being reduced to small, isolated populations that are under stress, for example.

Unless these areas are reconnected , many species could be lost, something Godwana Link is working to prevent.

“Habitats are protected, managed, restored and reconnected throughout the climate gradient that wildlife will move along in the face of climate change, from semi-arid woodlands to tall wet forests. This work is being achieved in ways that support the aspirations of the Noongar and Ngadju people, who were dispossessed in colonial times but are now regaining the right and the ability to be land managers once again,” CEO Keith Bradby explains to UN News.

Mr. Bradby describes how significant gains have been made with the work of a broad range of groups, businesses and individuals contributing a 16-million-hectare habitat area now recognised as the Great Western Woodlands.

“Over 20,000 hectares of farmland has been purchased in the critical habitat gaps, with large swathes under restoration plantings and wildlife already returning. Our state government has announced the end of logging in our native forests”, he adds.

The work of the organization has been recognized globally as an example of what large-scale ecosystem restoration looks like.

“Every day can be Earth Day. We can do it – and the more the merrier”, says Mr. Bradby.

3. Transplanting ‘survivor’ coral fragments

The image above is from Laughing Bird Caye National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Belize. It shows a restored coral reef previously victim of a bleaching event and in danger of death.

Coral reefs are among the most biologically diverse and valuable ecosystems on Earth, harbouring 25 per cent of all marine life.

They are in danger of disappearing by the end of the century all over the world due to the rising temperature and acidity of our ocean’s consequence of climate change.

Their loss would have devastating consequences not only for marine life, but also for over a billion people globally who benefit directly or indirectly from them.

Fragments of Hope is successfully re-seeding devastated reefs by planting genetically robust, diverse and resilient corals in southern Belize.

As a diver, Lisa Carne, the organization’s founder, explains that besides massive coral bleaching events and hurricanes in the region, she saw some corals bouncing back.

“These are the stronger survivors that we are propagating and replenishing the reef with,” she tells UN News.

Since the early 2000’s, Ms. Carne and other women divers and marine biologists from the NGO have been growing healthy corals in nurseries and them transplanting them by hand in shallow water.

“Our work is important because we are striving to prevent the extinction of the Caribbean acroporids corals which are listed as critically endangered which is one step away from extinct in the wild. We think it is also important to educate and inspire people to do more to understand reefs and the threats to them such as climate change,” she explains.

Today, over 49,000 nursery-grown coral fragments have been successfully out-planted in Laughing Bird Caye National Park, turning it once again into a vibrant tourism destination with thriving corals and abundant marine life. These corals have over six years survivorship and are considered the longest documented in the Caribbean.

New nursery and out-plant sites include Moho Caye (over 11,000 corals out-planted) and South Silk Caye (over 2,000 corals out-planted).

“Our message for this Earth Day 2022 is that we as a global society need to do better. What we’ve been doing so far is not working for our planet. We often think about ecosystems and biomes on a small scale but on a larger scale, business as usual is not working, so we all need to do our part to radically change our ways to protect our planet earth,” urges Ms. Carne.

4. Restoring watersheds affected by the climate crisis in the Andes

Another example of large-scale restoration and conservation efforts is happening in the Andes mountains in South America where local communities across five different countries are working together to grow and plant native trees and protect their water sources.

“Native forests have been largely lost in the Andes over the last 500 years following the Spanish conquest. With the last Andean glaciers melting rapidly, water security is now becoming a major issue for local communities and even major South American cities,” Constatino Aucca Chutas, co-founder of the NGO Acción Andina tells UN News.

Mr. Aucca explains that native forests, especially the Polylepis species [shrub and trees that are endemic to the mid- and high-elevation regions of the tropical Andes] and wetlands help create and store large amounts of water around their roots, soils and moss.

“They are our best allies to adapt to climate change and will help secure water for our livelihoods in the next decades to come. But we have to bring them back”, he highlights.

And that’s exactly what Accion Andina is doing: by the end of 2022, they will have planted more than 6 million native trees across the Andes . Their goal is to protect and restore one million hectares of high Andean forests in the next 25 years.

“We have found a unique way to do so: we are reviving the ancient Inca traditions of “ Ayni and Minka – which stands for collaboration and community services in our local Quechua culture. With our growing network of local NGO partners, we help communities protect remaining forests; we invest in local nurseries to grow new native forests; we organize community planting festivals – our renowned Queuña Raymi – to plant up to 100,000 trees in a single day; and we are supporting communities to make an additional living from these new restoration opportunities,” Mr. Aucca explains.

He says that while world leaders are still just talking about possible solutions to climate change, thousands of people are already acting on the ground.

“Mobilizing thousands of people to restore forests and achieve immediate climate action is possible… Our Mother Earth is tired of seeing all this hypocrisy, comfort and ego of the leaders who can decide and put on the ground the solutions to have a healthy planet. Local communities and the planet claim for more action, is time to take action for the sake of all of us,” Mr. Aucca urges in his message for Earth Day.

5. Restoring carbon absorbing seagrass

Seagrass provides food and shelter for many marine organisms. They are multifunctional ecosystems and are often referred as nursery habitats because they usually harbour young fish, smaller species of fish and invertebrates.

Because they are plants, seagrasses photosynthesise in the same way terrestrial plants do, using sunlight to synthetise nutrients from carbon dioxide and water and releasing oxygen.

This means that they are an essential tool in combating climate change, on top of their biological functions.

In the last 40 years, the world has lost one third of seagrass meadows due to sustain pressure from coastal development, water quality decline and of course, climate change.

Project Seagrass in the United Kingdom has been working for a decade to reverse that trend.

With the help of over 3000 volunteers, they have been able to plant over a million seagrass seeds and create awareness of the importance of these plants.

“With two full hectares of seagrass successfully restored, our organization has proved that large-scale seagrass restoration in the UK is possible. We are using a mix of cutting-edge technologies to assess sites and plan field trials”, the organization explains.

That’s not all folks

These are just five examples of the more than 50 projects registered with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. There are thousands of people and organizations already on the ground and making a difference to protect our Earth.

When the UN General Assembly meets this September, we will find out the first 10 World Restoration Flagships , the most promising examples of large-scale and long-term ecosystem restoration.

Bringing back ecosystems from the brink of degradation and loss is possible – and people around the world are already making it happen.

“Because we have only one Mother Earth. We must do everything we can to protect her”, the UN chief reminds us.

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Why Earth Day is more important than ever

22 April is Earth Day . While the coronavirus ( COVID-19) has been spreading around the world and dominating news headlines, thoughts and attention, the need to take climate action has remained as urgent as ever.  

By the end of 2020, global CO 2 emissions need to have dropped by 7.6 per cent and continue to fall by 7.6 per cent each year for us to have kept global heating under 1.5 o C, according to the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Emissions Gap Report 2019.

Earth day 2020 is not just the 50 th anniversary of Earth Day , but also the anniversary of the signing of the Paris Agreement to take climate action.

The pandemic is a stark reminder of the vulnerability of humans and the planet in the face of global scale threats. Unchecked damage to our environment must be addressed. In his response to the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 , United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres noted that, "Had we been further advanced in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change , we could better face this challenge."

https://youtu.be/KVhSxdW3DKE

Background on Earth Day

The first Earth Day took place in 1970. Outraged by oil spills, smog and polluted rivers, 20 million people took to the streets, protesting what they recognized as an environmental crisis. It was the planet’s largest civic event at the time and compelled governments to take concrete actions, including passing environmental laws and establishing environmental agencies. In addition to these practical outcomes, the event demonstrated just how much can be achieved when people come together and demand action.

The day continues to hold great significance. In 2009, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution formally recognizing the day as International Mother Earth Day . On Earth Day 2016, the United Nations formally adopted the Paris Agreement , articulating the commitment of nations to limit global temperature rise to less than 2°C over pre-industrial levels; and to strengthen the ability of countries to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change.

Earth Day in 2020

Marking its half-century anniversary, and selecting climate action as its theme, Earth Day 2020 was already poised to be a historic event. An occasion planned to bring people physically together across a series of events, COVID-19 has now prompted a dramatic shift to completely digital and virtual platforms. Earth Day 2020 calls for 24 hours of actions, big and small, for people and the planet. On this 50th anniversary, civil society organizers hope to fill the world’s digital landscape with global conversations, positive acts, performances, webinars and events supporting urgent action on climate change.

As the world rushes to plan for a post-pandemic recovery, UNEP and other parts of the United Nations system see this as opportunity to call attention to the need to “build back better.” The risks faced by ignoring the threats of environmental destruction must be understood and addressed with protections and policies. 22 April is a timely reminder to embrace the opportunities of the natural world for green jobs, sustainable economic stimulus, for urgently taking action to protect ourselves against unsurvivable global heating and for securing healthy, dignified futures .

What can you do? On 22 April, join earthday.org livestreamed discussions, events and actions you can take from wherever you are. Explore the many virtual Earth Day events via this directory to online events across global time zones. There are new tools for volunteering and advocacy and opportunities to participate as citizen scientists–using the Earth Challenge 2020 app to measure data such as air quality and plastic pollution, right where you are.  There are challenges for daily action; graphics for sharing on social media; tips for making your own Earth Day window sign ; and a place to tell others about your own personal “ act of green .”

Health supporter and Grammy award winning musician Ricky Kej, along with 44 musicians from six countries, will perform live in a concert in support of the World Health Organization and the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund .

Front-line community leaders will observe the occasion with a webinar on 21 April , including Earth Day blessings from leaders around the world ; a message from youth climate activists; and conversations with religious and indigenous leaders.

Just like on the first Earth Day, 50 years ago, it is time to demonstrate solidarity, take action and send a clear message to world leaders to act on climate change, halt biodiversity and habitat loss, and make certain environmental protection is a fundamental foundation of building back better.  

Looking ahead to the next 50 years, and in the lead up to World Environment Day on 5 June , UNEP will be sharing information on actions that can be taken to protect biodiversity, to contribute reforestation efforts of degraded landscapes and to commit to the overall sustainable management of natural resources.   

Nature is in crisis , threatened by biodiversity and habitat loss, global heating and toxic pollution. Failure to act is failing humanity. Addressing the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and protecting ourselves against future global threats requires sound management of hazardous medical and chemical waste; strong and global stewardship of nature and biodiversity; and a clear commitment to “building back better”, creating green jobs and facilitating the transition to carbon neutral economies. Humanity depends on action now for a resilient and sustainable future.

For more information, please contact Niklas Hagelberg: [email protected]

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ENCYCLOPEDIC ENTRY

Earth Day is an annual celebration that honors the achievements of the environmental movement and raises awareness of the need to protect Earth’s natural resources for future generations. Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 in the United States and on either April 22 or the day the spring equinox occurs throughout the rest of the world.

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• National Geographic Education: Introduction to Earth Day

Earth Day is an annual celebration that honors the achievements of the environmental movement and raises awareness of the need to protect Earths natural resources for future generations . Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 in the United States and on either April 22 or the day the spring equinox occurs throughout the rest of the world. Environmental activism during the 1960s inspired Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson to create a national celebration uniting the environmental movement. With the help of Denis Hayes, a graduate student at Harvard University, Nelson organized the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, educating participants in the importance of environmental conservation . Attended by 20 million people across the United States, the event strengthened support for legislation such as the Clean Air Act (updated in 1970) and the Endangered Species Act (1973). In 1990, Hayes organized a global Earth Day, with more than 200 million participants in more than 140 countries. Earth Day now brings together citizens and activists from around the world to raise awareness and take action regarding such environmental concerns as global warming and renewable energy . Today, the Earth Day Network (EDN) , which brings together more than 20,000 partners and organizations in 190 countries, supports the Earth Day mission year-round. This mission is founded on the premise that all people, regardless of race , gender , income , or geography , have a moral right to a healthy, sustainable environment. The Earth Day Network pursues this mission through education, public policy , and activism campaigns. These campaigns bring together more than one billion participants every year, making it one of the largest public, secular events in the world. The Earth Day Network pursues a set of core goals:

• Broaden the meaning of environment to include issues such as climate change , green schools and environmental curricula, green jobs , and renewable energy ;
• Diversify the movement by providing civic engagement opportunities at the local, state, national and global levels around the world. Recognizing that climate change impacts our most vulnerable citizens first and most severely, EDN often works with low-income communities to bring their voices and issues into the movement.
• Mobilize communities by working with partner organizations to provide opportunities for all citizens to become active in the environmental movement.

Earth Days Core Issues This set of goals underlines Earth Day events and actions around the world, which can be organized into ten core issues. Advocacy : Supporters encourage individuals and organizations to meet with elected officials to discuss environmental issues. The online program "Million Acts of Green," for instance, encourages visitors to adopt lifestyle changes such as composting, reducing your carbon footprint, or recycling e-waste.

Climate Change : Supporters raise awareness about climate change , human contribution to those changes, and opportunities to slow the phenomenon . Many Earth Day supporters, for instance, encourage citizens to support the landmark Paris Climate agreement, set to be signed on Earth Day 2016.

Conservation & Biology : Supporters work to conserve the world's biodiversity . On Earth Day 2010, for instance, participants in Sri Lanka planted more than 100 medicinal plants throughout the tropical rain forest at Yagirala Forest Reserve. These plants can be used by local populations and will create habitats for different organisms, enhancing the biodiversity of the island nation. Education : Earth Day education programs provide educators, students, and the general public with resources and solutions to create a healthier, more sustainable planet. On Earth Day 2010, for instance, teachers and students in the Compostela Valley region of the Philippines participated in a day-long conference. At the conference, they learned about tree planting and care, participated in nature hikes, and presented their environmental action projects to the community. Energy : Advocates support projects that develop renewable energy sources and technologies as means of transitioning off of nonrenewable sources, such as coal and oil . Citizens of Qatar, for example, are invited to switch off their power for one hour on Earth Day in a symbolic stance against human contributions to global warming. Food & Agriculture : Supporters raise awareness about some farming practices, such as the use of chemical pesticides , which contribute to environmental degradation . Supporters also advocate for a greater support of organic , local, and sustainable agricultural techniques. Member organizations of this issue group include Articultores , based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which raises awareness about urban gardening and brings citizens and youth together to plant in abandoned sites in cities. Green Economy : Supporters advocate for the creation of green industries and jobs that are connected to renewable energy sources. For example, the Students in Free Enterprise group in Saskatchewan, Canada, sponsors a prize for student projects that make best use of recycled materials. Green Schools : The Earth Day Network sponsors the National GREEN Schools Campaign. The GREEN Schools Campaign includes a focus on healthy school lunches, environmental classroom activities, outreach to local and national leaders, and an emphasis on sustainable building techniques. Recycling & Waste Reduction : Supporters work to reduce the amount of waste that people produce, and increase the amount that we recycle and reuse. The Beach Bunch group of Brunei, for example, organizes beach-cleaning campaigns. Sustainable Development : Supporters promote environmental practices that respect biodiversity and the natural world. Costa Rica, for instance, has implemented the Viaje Limpio program, in which individuals and companies pay a fee for the greenhouse gases they produce through travel. This money goes to protect the rainforest, water resources, and biodiversity of Costa Rica. Viaje Limpio helps the Costa Rican economy, because biodiversity and the rain forest are important natural assets that bring thousands of tourists to the country every year. In only 40 years, Earth Day has evolved from a single day celebrating the environmental movement in the United States to a global network that empowers more than a billion people to better understand, protect, and improve the environment.

Why April 22? Earth Day falls on April 22. The day was chosen by the original event's organizer, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson (for the state of Wisconsin), for simple reasons. Earth Day was an event focused on college students, and April 22 did not interfere with Spring Break, final exams, major religious holidays such as Easter, and was late enough in spring to anticipate decent weather for outdoor activities.

Margaret Mead's Holy Day "Earth Day is the first holy day which transcends all national borders, yet preserves all geographical integrities, spans mountains and oceans and time belts, and yet brings people all over the world into one resonating accord, is devoted to the preservation of the harmony in nature and yet draws upon the triumphs of technology, the measurement of time, and instantaneous communication through space." <br> Margaret Mead, cultural anthropologist

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On Mother Earth Day, UN urges protecting planet from ‘heavy hand of humankind’

On International Mother Earth Day, the United Nations is urging greater efforts to promote sustainable development and use of renewable energy sources, with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealing for worldwide changes in attitude and practice to curb the negative impact of human activity on the planet.

“From tropical deforestation to depleted ocean fisheries, from growing freshwater shortages to the rapid decline of biodiversity and increasingly polluted skies and seas in many parts of the world, we see the heavy hand of humankind,” said the UN chief.

As a part of the Organization’s efforts to drive home the importance of respecting and protecting the planet towards ensuring ‘the future we want’, the General Assembly is convening an interactive dialogue on “Harmony with Nature” to commemorate the International Day, marked annually on 22 April.

Following a high-level segment this morning, Member States, UN agencies and independent stakeholders will discuss in a series of roundtables ways to promote a balanced integration of the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.

In his message on the Day, which gives an opportunity to reflect on humankind’s relationship with the planet, Mr. Ban said: “The air we breathe, the water we drink and the soil that grows our food are part of a delicate global ecosystem that is increasingly under pressure from human activities.”

As such, and with a growing population, everyone must recognize that consumption of the planet’s resources is unsustainable. “We need a global transformation of attitude and practice. It is especially urgent to address how we generate the energy that drives our progress,” said the Secretary-General, emphasizing that burning fossil fuels is the principal cause of climate change, which increasingly threatens prosperity and stability in all regions.

“That is why world leaders have pledged to reach a global legal climate agreement in 2015.

He said that action on climate change presents multiple opportunities to “reset our relationship” with Mother Earth and improve human well-being, especially for the poorest and most vulnerable. Sustainable energy for all can increase health, wealth and opportunity for billions of people, as can climate-smart agriculture, more efficient cities, and better managed and protected forests.

To generate ambitious action on the ground and raise momentum for a new climate treaty in 2015, Mr. Ban is convening a climate summit in New York on 23 September this year. He is inviting Heads of State and Government along with private sector and civil society leaders to showcase initiatives and forge alliances that can help launch a sustainable future.

“But, they need support and encouragement, for change is never easy. So today, on International Mother Earth Day, I appeal to all people everywhere to raise their voices. Speak out on behalf of this planet, our only home,” said the Secretary-General.

General Assembly President John Ashe meanwhile called on the UN family to promote sustainable development and the use of renewable energy sources throughout cities and communities.

“As we look to promote the post-2015 development agenda, I call on Member States, civil society and other stakeholders to answer the call put forth in the 2009 UN resolution by the General Assembly to invest more in sustainable technology and to promote our ecosystems through global environmental public policies,” he said.

As the world confronted today’s unique sustainable development challenges, stakeholders’ understanding of the economic, social and environmental needs of present and future generations must be rooted in the most up-to-date scientific information.

“Our global strategy must promote sound environmental ethics, and continually emphasize humanity’s interconnectedness with nature,” said Mr. Ashe, looking forward to the Assembly’s discussions on the issue throughout the day.

Source: UN News Centre

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