Why celebrating and protecting our planet is critical at this moment, now more than ever
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For the last 56 years, the world unites on one day (April 22) to raise awareness of environmental issues and concerns, as well as celebrate the uniqueness of our planet in sustaining life. With the current geopolitical discourse distracting news cycles and discussions away from the importance of sustainability, Earth Day acts as an anchor, focusing our attention back on what matters most: ensuring that the decisions we make now preserve and protect our planet for the future.
And let’s not forget, just because current discourse does not take seriously the importance of sustainability and positive environmental policy, it doesn’t mean that people all over the world share the same view. Earth Day now celebrates participation from 1 billion people in over 190 countries. Not a bad endorsement of such an important movement.
Where Did It Come From?
The concept of Earth Day (setting aside time to celebrate the earth and the concept of peace) came from the activist John McConnell. In 1969, McConnell proposed his idea at a UNESCO conference, and in March 1970 the first celebration took place. It was a US Senator, environmentalist Gaylord Nelson, who further proposed a nationwide environmental teach-in on April 22, 1970, and along with activist Denis Hayes grew the event into an annual National Day of Activism and reflection. In 1990, Hayes took the event international, marking an important shift in its significance.
What Does Earth Day Mean for Us Now?
Over the decades, the organizers behind Earth Day have set up several campaigns aimed at highlighting and tackling specific environmental issues. From end plastics to The Canopy, climate and environmental literacy to the Act on Climate Change, these campaigns enable people from all over the world to engage in positive actions that aid climate awareness.
Just because the discourse has shifted doesn’t mean the problems have gone away. Whether it’s reducing our carbon footprint, energy usage, natural resource preservation, or investing in the circular economy, there are many things that individuals, businesses, and governments can do to translate this into actual results for the planet. Earth Day enables us to change the discourse and remind everyone that we must all play our part.
Keypoint Intelligence Opinion
The fact that Earth Day has not only survived for over fifty years, but has grown, is a testament to how strongly people feel about the protection of the planet and the ecosystems that sustain us. The important thing to stress now, amid growing political uncertainty and strains on natural resources, is that conservation and cost-saving often go together. As individuals and businesses look for more energy efficient products and ensure lights and appliances are turned off, the environmental impact of these actions is also hugely significant. Keypoint has been highlighting this recently with their Energy Efficiency awards, aimed at congratulating print OEMs who have made strides in reducing energy consumption for their A3 and A4 lines.
Earth Day is a day to celebrate the planet, and the amazing job is does to support our existence on earth. But let’s also use it to refocus our attention to conserving the planet and the resources we have, making our leaders listen to our priorities. One billion people can be wrong about something, but on this, they’re absolutely right.
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