Post written by Roberto, a United Planet Team member.
It all started in 1970, when Wisconsin’s Senator Gaylord Nelson decided that people need to be aware of the Earth’s problems. Nelson gathered together more than 20 millions of Americans on April 22, 1970 for a demonstration where a speech on global environment benefits was issued.
Every 22nd of April, this enjoyable celebration takes place in 175 countries all over the world. The theme of all these local meetings on global issues is climate change. Third sector organizations put a call out to the public to act by asking their rulers to address environmental issues. The focus tends to be on ecological degradation such as deforestation, rivers and seas pollution, smog and climate change-effects of increasing modernization and a growing global economy. By keeping track of all the environmental degradation that has occurred over the last few decades, as nations have put progress above natural resources, environmentalists have also highlighted the many effects of climate change.
According to World Wildlife Fund sources, the population will grow to an unsustainable level by 2050—twice the maximum capacity of the planet. The effects of this oncoming adversity are already there for everyone to see, such as increasing hunger in the developing world, where not enough food is grown locally. The record of environmental misfortunes does not end here. In some parts of the planet, water has become more valuable than gold; where land is infertile, survival is difficult. Where there is no river, there is no life—this still holds true today.
On Earth Day, individuals are encouraged to cut back their consumption of non-renewable energy and governments are asked to promote the adoption of wind generators and other alternative forms of energy. Environmentalists also encourage schools to serve healthy food to improve nutrition in future generations.
Do your part! Play your role today to build a healthier earth tomorrow!
ABOUT UNITED PLANET
United Planet is a non-profit organization with a mission to create a global community, one relationship at a time. Established in 2001, United Planet offers volunteer abroad, virtual internships, internships abroad, gap year volunteering, and global virtual exchange in more than 40 countries.
