WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE DAY
AFTER EARTH DAY?
To designate a day of events, learning, contemplation, and planning is an excellent idea. To have a day where we celebrate our marvelous planet, celebrate the success stories of the past year and analyze our failures, and, in one voice dedicate ourselves to another year of advocacy is outstanding. It is wonderful that so many people are out planting trees as a symbol and expression of their love of our precious home Earth. The Earth Day Network seems to be about as close to an official organization as there is. It has 22,000 partner organizations in 192 countries and has designated Earth Day 2015 as “It's Our turn to lead.” On their webpage they write, 2015 - Earth Day’s 45th anniversary - could be the most exciting year in environmental history. The year in which economic growth and sustainability join hands. The year in which world leaders finally pass a binding climate change treaty. The year in which citizens and organizations divest from fossil fuels and put their money into renewable energy solutions. These are tough issues but we know what’s at stake is the future of our planet and the survival of life on earth. On Earth Day we need you to take a stand so that together, we can show the world a new direction. It’s our turn to lead. So our world leaders can follow by example. (Please re-read the last three sentences!)
Earth Day Network reports 1,123,961,786 “acts of green” with a target of 2 billion. This is exciting and heady stuff! Unfortunately reality rears its ugly head forcing us to ask the question - when the trees are planted, the programs are over and your adrenaline level has returned to normal, will you still be ready to take action. Tomorrow we will still be confronted by disintegration of natural habitats and the remaining forest corridors due to rapid development and human pressure, pollution due to the reckless dumping and disposal of waste and the destruction of the ecosystem and the threat to aquatic and avian species, destruction of natural habitats because of unlawful mining, logging of timber, grazing, man-made forest fires, large-scale commercial exploitation of minor forest produce, use of chemical pesticides, and fishing practices, and seemingly countless other critical issues. If you are already an earth-lover, I hope today is a celebration that strengthens your resolve to continue through the coming year. If you are just coming on board, I hope today will provide you with the strength and courage to continue. In any case, let us remember that there are 364 other days. Let's make today our Earth Day Celebration and EVERY DAY BE EARTH DAY!
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