Earth Day 2024
Why International Earth Day is so important for tackling the challenges posed by climate change.
What will I learn from this report?
Our planet is strong. Its history dates back millions of years and it has sustained the lives of countless species. However, our planet is also vulnerable. We are witnessing how it can be affected by pollution, the unsustainable use of resources, and climate change.
Human activities bear a great responsibility for this situation. This is why days such as Earth Day, held on 22 April, seek to raise awareness about the way in which we relate to our planet, the only home we know.
What is International Earth Day?
Earth Day is a date recognised on the official calendar of the United Nations (UN) and was established by US Senator Gaylord Nelson in 1970.
His aim was to raise collective awareness about the problems endangering the survival of the planet: overpopulation, biodiversity conservation and pollution, among others.
It’s a day to pay homage to our planet and recognize the Earth as our home and our Mother, as expressed by different cultures throughout history, signaling the interdependence between the many ecosystems and species living on Earth.
International Mother Earth Day 2024
Since the celebration of the first International Mother Earth Day over half a century ago, environmental awareness has gone from being a marginal question to a general concern shared worldwide.
International Earth Day 2024 marks the 54th anniversary of this celebration, whose theme this year is “Planet vs. Plastics”.
The Earth Day ONG seeks to highlight the threat plastics pose to human health. Activists are campaigning for a 60% reduction in plastics production by 2040.
Governments and ONGs from all over the world are working under the auspices of the UN to put together a Global Plastics Treaty at their meeting from 23 to 29 April in Ottawa, Canada.
Plastics are affecting all ecosystems, causing new health problems and affecting the global economy. We have the opportunity to regenerate the Earth by addressing these problems. A healthy planet is not an option, it’s a need.
Sources:
- https://www.un.org/en/observances/earth-day
- https://www.earthday.org/
