What I know about Earth Day
13 – 15 years
“Trees are the poems that the Earth writes upon the sky…”
This famous quote was written by Lebanese-American writer and poet, Kahlil Gibran in his renowned book, ‘Sand and Foam’ in 6.
Earth Day is, an international event celebrated around the world to pledge support for environmental protection. It is commemorated on April yearly, which is arranged by the EARTH.ORG institute. Like every year, to celebrate the uniqueness of this day, the organization comes up with a speciÀc theme for this function.
Last year’s subject was, ‘Invest in Our Planet’ which called for businesses’ to change towards sustainable practices. This year’s message is, ‘Planet vs. Plastics’ which points attention to the serious issues about plastic pollution and how it harms nature.
The inception of Mother Earth Day dates back to 1970, marking the birth of the modern environmental movement. It was a time when industrial progress took precedence over environmental concerns, leading to air and water pollution. The publication of Rachel Carson’s, ‘Silent Spring’ in 196 was a turning point, raising public awareness about the habitat and the links between contamination and community medicine.
The idea for Earth Day was Àrst proposed by Senator Gaylord Nelson after the ravages of the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill. Along with Denis Hayes, they assembled the Àrst Earth Day on April , 1970 where
0 million Americans demonstrated for a healthy, sustainable territory.
Earth Day serves as a yearly reminder of our responsibility towards environmental stewardship. It’s a day that commemorates nature’s natural beauty and to take action against the obstacles threatening our environment.
The day has been instrumental in uniting people from all over the world to walks of life participating in various activities that promote environmental conservation and an eco-friendly future.
‘The Unhabitable Earth’ by prestigious writer David WallaceWells, ‘The Lorax’ by wonderful
Dr. Seuss and ‘Braiding Sweetgrass’ by amazing Robin Wall Kimmerer are some novels written about this day while ‘Earth Song’ by fantastic Michael -ackson, ‘Wake Up America’ by remarkable Miley Cyrus and ‘Save The Planet Song’ by terriÀc Miss Linky are some songs especially sung on this day.
Earth Day serves as a poignant reminder of our collective responsibility to protect and preserve our cosmos. It’s a day to reÁect on the impact of human actions on the world and to recommit ourselves to sustainable practices.
As we observe this day, let’s strive to foster appreciation for the natural world, advocate for a meaningful change and work together to ensure a healthier and more sustainable future generation. As children we should always keep in mind to fulÀll our duties to Mother Earth by, disposing trash responsibly, participating in local clean-ups and using the 3R system. The idea for Earth Day came after a series of environmental catastrophes, Earth Day became global in 1990 and tens of millions of trees have been planted on Earth Day are some facts for this day.
To conclude, here’s a saying by Oliver -effers, an Australian-Irish artist and illustrator,
“Every Day is Earth Day…”
Senuli Rathnasekara (15 years) St. Bridget’s Convent, Colombo 7