With alarmingly increasing level of pollution and anti-sustainable practices, the planet is quickly being drifted into peril. This brings sharply into focus how and with what thoughts the Earth Day being celebrated across the world this year.
Now moving ever so closer to its 50th anniversary, the relevance of observing this important day is at an all-time high. But actually it never had importance anytime less. Since the dawn of the 20th century and in fact it should be said that since the coming of Industrial Revolution in England, colossal levels of pollutants have entered into our environment by the ceaseless human activity so much so that it seems that all the “progress” which the human society boasts to have achieved has backfired.
Now there is more than ever an increased consciousness amongst the people of the world as to what went wrong, what wrong is being committed and what has the future in store for us.
But why Earth Day is celebrated? And how it is observed by people all over the globe?
The Earth day is celebrated every year on 22nd April. Although its main aim is to inform, educate and sensitize people, there are a lot of activities all around the world, which commemorate the event. Since its inception in the United States, almost five decades earlier, which followed the infamous Oil Spill, the Earth Day has come a long way in generating an incredible global awareness and response. It is largely attributed as one of biggest events that bring the people of the world together for a common cause and is widely hailed as the “world’s largest secular holiday” .
Over the years, the events has been marked by numerous festivals, parades and rallies that take place in approximately 192 countries. To lend their support to the event and to encourage people across the world, many celebrities, from the likes of Leonardo Di Caprio to Emma Watson have supported the observance of Earth Day.
Earth Day in 2016 is expected to draw almost a billion people and the enthusiasm is all too conspicuous. Earth Day network has pledged to plant 7.8 billion trees in the next five years. Moreover, in different countries across the world there diverse ways in which the people are observing and celebrating the event. Children are especially exuberant this time as they feel it their responsibility to transform the world. These are all positive signs and supply confidence that we are at last on the right course.
Even though it does not behoove to observe a particular day for ecological awareness and sensitivity, the importance of Earth Day cannot be undermined. It is nevertheless our collective duty to promote and cultivate a cleaner, healthier and sustainable environment for all. This is the way would be able to bequeath a rightful and most appropriate heritage to our future generations.