EARTH Day is being celebrated each year as an international event with a view to protecting the earth from pollutions and abuse. Although celebrations of Earth Day were initiated much earlier, many years before the birth of World Environment Day, it now gets less coverage as environment day has come to the forefront of the
global agenda. The Stockholm Conference on Human Environment held in 1972 decided to observe June 5 as World Environment Day every year.
Earth Day, in a broader sense, denotes the significance of human awareness about environmental abuse worldwide. While World Environment Day reminds us of the principles of some historic declaration and things to be done for protecting the earth, Earth Day reminds of the agonies and calls with gusto for the remedies.
On April 22 in 1970, hundreds of students stood around a shiny new car at Northern Illinois University and smashed it to pieces with hammers. It was Earth Day and the students destroyed the vehicle in protest at an internal combustion engine which would emit a noxious type of pollutant.
Even after four decades of that exemplary demonstration, human actions have not reached an expected level up until now to gain ecological equilibrium. What we see around is a dismal picture. Most of the actions and declarations remain disputed and concrete solutions are still pending for the greater interest of the human race. With few exceptions, the evidence indicated that the quality of the air, water, land, and living resources continued to deteriorate around the globe.
With a call to ‘Mobilise the Earth’, this year’s Earth Day again approaches us to come forward to act for the greater interest of the humankind. Now it demands action in no time and simply to say ‘no’ to any kind of abuse. Earth can no longer wait for indecision but to quick solutions. This precious planet’s prospects for environmental stability are drearier than ever with yet another Earth Day passing by on April 22.
Scientists have confirmed global warming as inevitable. With our open eyes we are experiencing that the climate pattern is changing across the globe. This change is due to the gross effect of individual and interactive effects of global changes in atmospheric composition, land use, biodiversity and climate. The concerns regarding climate change and depletion of the ozone layer will certainly aggravate the natural disaster situation, especially in the low-lying and developing countries like Bangladesh in the future.
Earth Day was founded by John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco. The day was observed for the first time in San Francisco and some other cities on March 21, 1970, i.e. first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. The concept of the observance of the day globally was pioneered by Gaylord Nelson, US senator and environmentalist. Thus, the observance of Earth Day is approached in two dimensions. Both held during spring in the northern hemisphere, and autumn in the southern hemisphere.
Earth Day is an occasion for us to reflect on the necessity of a clean environment, steady weather and clean water. It’s an opportunity to focus on the safe air, water, soil and the food. Our stewardship of these resources is critical to our survival. Earth Day is observed by millions worldwide, marked by celebrations, activities, and commitment to sound environmental round the year.
Hasan Zahid
Toronto, Canada