Each day we wake up, we live our life focused on our own priorities and problems. While striving to meet our own needs and goals, we often forget about something much bigger –Â the planet we live on, the one that sustains us.
Have you ever considered the fact that every single human activity affects our planet? More importantly, are you aware of the fact that we live far beyond the resources provided to us? Scientific researchers claim that the world is already using around 30% more biocapacity than the global ecosystems can provide in a sustainable manner.
Earth Day: A Special Occasion to Awaken Our Environmental Awareness
Every year, since 1970, on April 22 we celebrate International Mother Earth Day. The main purpose of this special occasion is to awaken environmental awareness throughout the world. In other words, this day is a unique opportunity to remind individuals about the global problems that are much bigger than our everyday worries. After all, environmental awareness is a key factor in building a healthy and sustainable environment that will protect our precious Earth for future generations.
The Situation is More Serious than Ever Before
As the world population continues to experience rapid growth, critical global problems have become more serious than ever. Therefore, scientists, government entities, organizations, and many individual activists throughout the world fight an uphill battle to open our eyes and get us to practice environmental and social awareness. The first challenge in that battle is to motivate us to take time and think about the following problems:
- Overuse of natural resources
- Greenhouse gas emmissions
- Ecosystem degradation followed by the loss of biodiversity
- Pollution of the most valuable resources, such as soil, water, and air
- Deforestation
- Climate change
- Soil erosion
- World hunger and malnutrition
- Limited available arable land
- Unpredictable extreme weather events.
All of the aforementioned problems are closely related and make up a neverending cycle of causes and effects.
Striving to meet global food security, agriculture contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation, which is more concerning in times when food production is already threatened due to climate changes. Another intriguing and important aspect to consider is that climate change is a fundamental threat to global food security. Unfortunately, this is just one example of the many relationships of the ever-growing global problems.
What Can You Do?
There are so many things that individuals can do to protect the environment. But first, there is something that must be done in order to kick off the change; stop relinquishing this problem to institutions, companies, governments, and organizations. People often think that they are too small to bring about significant changes. It is in fact the contrary. If we all start with ourselves and take more care of and a vested interest in our planet, we can make a big impact.
So plant a tree, pick-up trash, use less water, recycle, or participate in an other plant-saving activity, and keep in mind that every step makes a difference. Everyone can do something to preserve our planet and all its beauty for future generations.
Happy International Mother Earth Day!
Text sources:Â Friends of the Earth Europe
