Thumbs-up for a healthy Earth!

There’s really no place like home after a long day. It is safe and comfortable and you can let your guard down, knowing there’s no danger there. Likewise, Earth is supposed to be a safe refuge for every living creature.

Unfortunately, infectious diseases make life miserable for millions of people, and underwater creatures struggle to survive in polluted water. On land, the homes of plants and animals are being destroyed in order to clear more land for humans. Hard work and very clever ideas are needed to restore Earth to the haven it should be.

Bye-bye disease

A world without serious diseases like malaria and Ebola would give everyone peace of mind. Without infectious diseases, millions of people could continue with their work and education uninterrupted. This dream is a possibility because diseases can be eradicated. One success story is that of Guinea worm. There used to be 3.5 million cases of Guinea worm infections, and in 2023 there were only 13!

Getting to mosquitoes before they bite

Humans get malaria (and diseases like dengue fever, yellow fever and Zika virus) from mosquito bites. Chemical companies make special mosquito nets which have a long- lasting insecticide on them. This prevents mosquitoes from biting people while they are sleeping and kills them after they’ve touched the net.

Living waterways

Healthy rivers, wetlands and oceans are the heartbeat of planet Earth. One of the many threats to life below water is an oversupply of nutrients like nitrogen from fertilisers that are used on farms. The large amount of nutrients overfeed algae, which causes algal blooms. These eventually create dead zones in the water, where nothing can grow or live. Efforts to protect Earth’s precious water life are critical for mankind’s continued survival.

A safe place for all

The animals and plants on land keep Earth clean and fresh by cleaning the air and water and regulating the climate. If left to itself, nature keeps everything in perfect balance.

However, humans need space to live and grow their food as well. This has been very disruptive in the past, and now everyone is trying to do things better so that all life on land can thrive.