Every day there is an overcry of millions regarding the benefits we get from our mother Earth. Deaths, hunger, droughts, hazards, and depleting resources are not only modulating our lifestyle but also forcing planet devastation. Not a single person can proudly claim that he/she has not ruined nature’s beauty and prerequisite.
The ‘EARTH DAY’ is the day to be thankful for our planet by promising its care, respect, and preservation. This particular day is not for long speeches or elongated pieces, so this writing presents quick facts about Earth and its deterioration.
Table of Contents
Earth Day facts
- The first earth day was celebrated in 1970 after 20 million people protested against the Santa Barbara oil spill in the USA in 1969.
- The key speakers of the first Earth Day event were Hollywood actor Paul Newman and New York City Mayor John Lindsay who arrived on an electric bus.
- The first Earth day flag creator John McConnell was inspired by the first picture of Earth; later named ‘The Blue Marble’.
- The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) was created as an inspiration from Earth day back in 1970.
- More than 500 million people from 174 countries take part in Earth Day every year making the day the largest secular holiday.
- Google introduced animated doodles of Earthday on its homepage in 2001.
- The theme for Earth day 2022 is ‘Invest In Our Planet’.
Recalling facts on Earth pollution
- More than 3 million children under 5 die due to environmental factors every year.
- Pollution is directly affecting 100 million worldwide.
- More than 1 billion people lack the accessibility to freshwater.
- No clean water leads to 5000 deaths every day.
- 14 billion pounds of plastic waste surfs in the ocean every year.
- 1 million seabirds and 100 million animals die due to pollution each year.
- 46% of America’s lakes are severely polluted.
- One billion cars will run on the streets by 2030 and by the look of it, major of them will operate on fossil fuels.
- China is the world’s largest CO2 producer.
- 88% of Guiyu, China’s children suffer from respiratory disease due to e-waste dumping.
- 1 ton for every million of oil gets spilled into the ocean.
- 2500 dairy cows produce the same amount of waste as 411000 people.
- Yearly animal waste surpasses human waste by 130 times.
Is climate change eating the earth alive?
- July 2021 was the month when the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere was highest.
- There are 7 hottest year records since 2014 and 2020 being the second hottest.
- Deforestation accounts for 11% of GHGs emissions.
- The last decade was the hottest in 125000 years.
- 280 before industrial and 420 after industrial, this is the level of CO2 in our atmosphere.
- We are losing 1.2 trillion of ice every year.
- 10 million people every year die from air pollution, and just about 4.5 million died from COVID.
- 302.4 billion work hours are lost in 2019 due to excessive heat.
- Climate change inflation could reach 14-18% by the end of the century.
What does the fact say?
Facts from every conscious organization yell that humans are screwed or on the verge of a large catastrophe. There might be a way out of this but till capitalism surpasses the climate, nothing is on the correct pavement. A million people’s sustainable lifestyle is easily ruined by just a couple hundred industries. Everyone knows what to do but the primary group that needs to act is ignoring the future. Earth day might just be a day for them, but it is a day of hope for every climate activist, scientist, researcher, and academician.
Is something good being done?
- People are more conscious of waste reusing and reduction.
- Volunteers from every corner assist with climate and pollution mitigation programs.
- Planting trees has become a trend.
- Natural parks and preservation areas; 238563 exactly in numbers.
- Thousands of companies upcycling the potential waste.
- A slow and gradual shift from Coal to renewable energy.
- Large chain companies and restaurants made green.
- Cycles are taking over the street.
- Elon Musk and his Tesla.
Earth is a home, a shield, a mystery, a spherical celestial in the perfect position to show us everything that we have ever known. A fight for it is a must.
Is there hope?
We have been living on this globe for two million years. Lots of civilization vanished, cities submerged, but some made it and took us here. If we give up there will be no one to trust, no one to care for the planet. It’s not the fight between climate change and humans, it’s a fight between people who care for the earth and those who don’t. Even though the latter wins, the earth loses and they lose. Days like ‘EARTH DAY’ signify the hope that there are still a lot of people like us working for nature. It symbolizes climate actions for a sustainable lifestyle. The day calls for stories of earth told by a senior human to little ones. Sharing the way for nature harmony accounts for sharing love and blessings. Starting from this EARTH DAY 2022 invest yourself in nature, if you can plant a tree, educate others, promote cleanliness, save wildlife, and care for the planet. There has never been a planet B and there will never be one.
A big appreciation to Earth Day, NOAA, IPCC, Worldometers, WWF, TESLA, and IUCN for facts, information, and making the world better. We, Earth and Human, hope to do the same. Happy Earth day 2022.
(Last Updated on April 22, 2022 by Sadrish Dabadi)
