We often think of doing something for our environment but instead of helping or protecting it, we end up making a mess of it. Now that the entire human race is following social distancing and staying at home, we are witnessing changes in our environment. And these changes ideally should have occurred a long time back. Mother Nature has got its power back ever since the outbreak of Coronavirus. We can see more greenery, wildlife, stars twinkling at night and most of all a drastic change in pollution level. Imagine what we capable of doing if we act responsibly towards our environment? That truly would be an achievement for mankind. So today, we’ll talk about Earth Day and how we can contribute in environmental protection.
What is Earth Day?
Earth Day is a day dedicated for spreading awareness of environmental changes and protecting our planet. It is celebrated every year on 22nd April. April 22, 2020 mark 50th anniversary of Earth Day.
Earth Day 2020 Theme
The theme for Earth Day 2020 is climate action. Climate change is an enormous challenge and threat that put a question mark on our survival. The future of humanity and life-support systems that make our world habitable lies in the hand of climate and actions we must take to stop the magnitude of climate change that is bringing us closer each day to extinction.
Earth Day Facts
Here are some cool facts about Earth Day-
- April 22 was chosen as Earth Day because the date fell between spring break and final exams and organizers wanted to involve students.
- Every year, about 1 million people across the world participate in Earth Day activities.
- The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970 and 20 million people gathered in the streets of America to protest against industrial revolution.
- Every year millions of orchids and thousands of trees are planted by people to celebrate Earth Day.
- Earth Day is internationally known as International Mother Earth Day.
Activities to do on Earth Day
Here’s what you can do to save and protect our Mother Nature-
- Join others for 24 hours of action in a global digital mobilization;
- Be a part of digital landscape with global conversations, calls to action, performances, video teach-ins and more;
- Understand why it is important to mobilize the world to take the most meaningful actions to make a difference;
- Visit earthday.org and join live-streamed discussions;
- Discard plastics;
- Use organic products for your physical well being;
- Go organic;
- Plant a sapling;
- Give up chewing gum and tobacco;
- Instead of using car or motorbike to commute, use bicycle;
- Buy a reusable water bottle;
- Dump plastic straws and cups;
- Change the way you pay bills, use online mode to pay bills and save paper;
- Start a compost heap in your backyard or garden or terrace.
On Earth Day 2020, pledge to change our lives and change the planet, not for one day, but forever.
Google Doodle for Earth Day 2020
Google, the search engine giant has marked Earth Day with a special Doodle (just like it usually does on other important occasions) dedicated to the most critical tiny organisms- bees. The Google Doodle art for this year’s theme is interactive and fun challenge where users can unlock facts about bees by guiding them to a flower and help in pollination. The game goes on as you want it to and you can see flowers blossoming just as you move the bee using cursor to a seed. This Doodle signifies how much of an impact we all can create when we do our part of duty towards environment. A small video in the beginning highlights the importance of bees as they contribute two-thirds of the world’s crops by the method of pollination.
Learn about the species that have mastered social distancing
In case you think it is only you who is following social distancing amid Coronavirus pandemic, here’s an example of species that have always been doing that-
- Marine Turtles: Known for their terrific sense of navigation, marine turtles prefer to interact with only one turtle for short periods for nesting. After hatching, they go on a solo journey in the ocean for many years and survive alone.
- Blue Whales: These largest creatures in the world swim in small groups occasionally and more often alone. They are known for communicating with their mate swimming miles away using loud low-pitched moans.
- Snow Leopards: They are solitary predators who are usually seen together during mating or during infancy. Other than that, they live alone.
- Polar Bears: Adult polar bears like a solitary life except during mating season.
- Orangutans: These intelligent furry monkeys live a semi-solitary life in the jungle and spend most of their time hanging out in trees.
