Protecting the planet
Earth Day first started on April in 1970 by Sen. Gaylord Nelson, a junior senator from Wisconsin. It was first created in response to the increasing consumption of lead and gasoline. It aimed to bring to light the state of the Earth and get the government involved. Not only did Earth day result in over 20 million Americans supporting the cause, but Earth Day is now observed and celebrated by countries all over the world. In fact, over the past years, climate change has become an increasingly prominent issue. This year’s topic for Earth Day is “Restore the Earth” and will be used to remind people all over the world of the importance of not only preserving nature but also remedying the damage done to our planet.
Since the start of the Industrial Period, our relationship with nature has always been observed. First, for its resources and the necessary things we get from nature, and now for the impact we are making on the planet. Climate change and sustainability are not new issues, but are relatively new in the attention we give. From the late 20th century to the early 21st century, we, as a society, have taken for granted the resources around us without giving too much thought on the impact it may have. This has now resulted in several extinct species, polluted water, several forests gone and poor air quality.
It would be remiss of me to write about Earth Day and its significance without mentioning the recent climate events. Last year in September of 2021, California has experienced one of its worst wildfires yet. Texas, during the February of this year, experienced a winter storm. This resulted in many deaths and a lot of damage to buildings since Texas is not a state that receives a lot of snow, if at all. All around the world countries have been experiencing their own climate disasters, such as the locust invasion in the Horn of Africa back in 2020 and their resurgence in East Africa during January 2021. Now, coupled with a pandemic, it truly feels like the world was ending.
That is not the case. The world isn’t ending, but it does need help. According to the official website for Earth day, the aim for this year’s Earth day theme is to show that there are other ways to address climate change other than mitigation and adaptation. The plan is to showcase emerging green technologies. This year is also going to be unique because it will be the first Earth Day Event that will be held completely online due to COVID-19.
Especially in our society today, technological innovations are happening at a breakneck speed. We are seeing new technology left and right with a phone that unlocks just by using our face, and with artificial intelligence machines like Alexa, Siri, and Google home. Green technology is no exception. A big example is finding more sustainable architecture and building materials. As more and more people are populating the Earth, it is important to also find good housing that doesn’t harm the planet. Green architecture is the solution to that since it finds sustainable energy sources and reuses or repurposes building materials. Some notable examples include the Pixel Building and One Central Park in Australia, the Bahrain World Trade Center 1 and 2 in Bahrain and the Museum of Tomorrow in Brazil.
Other examples of new green innovations include the technology behind cars. Brands like Hyundai, BMW, Toyota and Honda are all creating cars that reduce their gas emissions and carbon footprint. All of these cars are replacing fuel with electricity to some extent, which is the reason it allows for the reduction in carbon emissions. Greener Cars is an organization under the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), which lists which brands and models perform well while being environmentally sustainable.
These are just some examples of upcoming green technology. If you want to learn more, the Earth Day organization’s website has listed what is to come for the event. It starts on April 20 and ends on April 22. The event will include several seminars and workshops that talk about a variety of topics such as climate and environmental literacy, climate restoration technology, equity and environmental justice and more. There will be speakers from all over the world, and will even have a global youth climate summit led by Earth Uprising, an organization led by a group of young individuals who focus on activism and fighting climate change.
Since space travel is not widely available to everyone and we have yet to find another suitable planet to live on, we must protect the planet we currently have. This year’s Earth day not only focuses on restoring the planet but also proving that innovation and environmental sustainability work hand-in-hand with one another. We have started taking the necessary steps to protect our planet, and I for one, am excited to see what else we can accomplish.
