On 51st Anniversary of Earth day today i.e. 22 April, the intimated residents of this planet look desperately for ways to “Restore Our Earth” and hence the theme lies in consonance.
The theme substantiates on natural processes and emerging green technologies to possibly restore the world’s ecosystems and rejects the notion that only mitigation or adaptation can address climate change.
Earth deserves every possible day dedicated to its name. However, when the World and especially India is busy tackling the crisis of the century, it may seem advisable to revisit our past handlings and our future course.
Things and events are no longer ambiguous from the point we stand. Our planet is swiftly moving towards a fate, we Humans have pushed it in.
Mother Nature wants this chaos around its spoilt beings while it opens its wrath upon us? No.
But this alone does not mean that we have nothing else to offer our Mother Earth. As soon as possible we realize, agree and incorporate better ways in our lives, we and the planet will continue to be vulnerable to each other.
Under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030, UN has underlined 10 steps to avert the impending climate disaster, loss of beautiful species and to build a #GenerationRestoration for upcoming 10 years.
The first step to any brilliant change will definitely be an awakening: Groups and individuals be informed about possible restoration opportunities in their area, joining initiatives already underway, or start their own. And that’s the difficult part of all.
Next will we require a good investment draining in such motives and foregoing some of the financial gains of less sustainable practices. No pain, No gain.
The UN Decade’s strategy seeks to build the capacity of marginalized groups that stand to lose most from the destruction of ecosystems – such as indigenous peoples, women and youth to take an active role in restoration.
It even vouches for greater belief in the vision, expertise and dedication of already fueled in projects.
More than ever, it is important now to understand and introspect: How could we have changed our current story or how much we can endure more or how can we change what is at the other end of the road approaching us?
Amongst many, there are a few unfettered ways to accomplish such a great mission even at individual level:
- Tree delivery in Anthropocene: with lesser time at hand and bigger ambitions, there are even drones available to plant billion trees a year.
2. Another necessity is to curb and clean our garbage. Microplastics make up 94 percent of an estimated 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic in the patch and that’s barely 8% of the total rest. Using floating screens and anchors, the system will gather, confine and hold the microplastics on water until it can be collected.
It takes seconds to destroy systems, but takes almost everything to rebuild it or at least lessen the friction. We have more responsibilities than ever: not just of our immediate families but bigger family as a planet.
We need to monitor and maintain our Ice caps, to help them prosper and balance the heat.
This is a day intended to bring Earth’s issues to light and garner thankfulness for our natural habitat.
There is a notable difference between Earth day and Earth hour. However, the two complement each other in motive.
3 movies gifted for This Earth Day:
Apple TV+ has released the documentary special The Year Earth Changed and second seasons of Tiny World and Earth at Night in Color to pay reverence to the planet this day.
These 3 classics have been added to the specially-curated record of environmentally-themed programmes available on the network.
Back in 19th century, Khalil Gibran had exclaimed: “Trees are poems that Earth writes upon the sky. We fell them down and turn them into paper, that we may record our emptiness.”
It is Human that needs the Earth and not vice-versa. The crossroads we stand at today, are not just special but crucial. We need to topple all our unhealthy ways. Pandemic may have taught us a few things in tandem, Humans may perish but they tend to survive.
We need to remember that once we survive and get out of this loop of life and death, it is our life that needs fulfilment and not desires. Earth needs a fair chance to survive too, else it will charge back on us.