International Mother Earth Day 2018 - End Plastic Pollution
The UN General Assembly, recognized the interdependence occurrences among human beings, other living species on the planet Earth and the mother Earth being respected by many countries, decided 22nd April as International Mother Earth Day vide its resolution A/RES/63/278, on 22nd April 2009. The celebration reminds that the Earth and its ecosystems provide us with life and sustenance. It provides an opportunity to raise public awareness around the world to the challenges regarding the well-being of the planet and all the life it supports.
The Rio Declaration in the 1992, ascertained our collective responsibility, to promote harmony with nature and the Earth. This will help to achieve a balance among the economic, social and environmental needs of present and future generations of humanity.
This occasion invites all civil societies, non-governmental organizations and stakeholders to realise and raise awareness on caring for Mother Earth, in all possible manners, globally.
The theme of Earth Day 2018 celebration is ‘End Plastic Pollution’ as declared by the EDN - Earth Day Network.
Plastic wastes pollution causes poisoning and injuring marine life and disrupting human hormones. Such plastic wastes being littered along sea beaches and various landscapes, clog our waste streams and landfills. The plastic wastes growth is rapidly increases. It is now already threatening the survival of many living beings and our planet, too.
We can dedicate on the Earth Day to provide information and inspire to change human attitude and behavior about plastics wastes pollution for its appropriate disposal and a significant reduction of this pollution.
We have options to take action to End Plastic Pollution on Earth Day and beyond.
Steps to End Plastic Trash:
o Support and adopt regulatory framework to plastic wastes pollution.
o Educate fellow citizens to demand from Local Bodies, governments and plastic producers to set up plastic wastes collection centres.
o Take personal responsibility to choose to reject, reduce, reuse and recycle plastics wastes.
o Encourage educational institutions to place plastic wastes bins at all corners.
o Work among various organizations to provide a platform to manage plastic wastes, adopt recycled plastic wastes furniture as wood substitute and help conserve forest resources.
o Promote projects of localself governments tackling plastic wastes collection & disposal.
o Felicitate media persons reporting not only pollution problems, but invite attention to its emerging solutions.
1 Greening Schools
o Students are assets of nation and few would be leaders of tomorrow. They deserve clean & healthy schools to study, learn and grow in better environment. They need the best-available, science based information about clean & green environment. Once they are out of school, as youth will insist for the clean habitats & workplace.
o Bring the environmental movement within college campuses among cultural activities. There are hardly any challenges in greening public and private schools. Such green schools/college campus be felicitated with Green Ribbon Educational Campus.
The Green Canopy
o Draw projects to strengthen communities through tree planting. Use agro forestry, sapling distribution and tree care training to conserve, repair, and restore tree cover.
o Launch reforestation within environmentally critical areas on long term basis.
o Trees provide food, energy and income, help communities to achieve long-term economic and environmental sustainability.
o Trees also filter the air and reverse the impacts of climate change.
o Maintain plantation history sheet, and every year encourage & award year wise to individual / group / organisation for caring plants of 1 to 10 years age.
o Every rupee spent on reforestation generates over two times in local downstream income and benefits!
We can surely make this …
o Identify new plantation places. Organise adopting social forestry programmes. o Encourage family in making a home for a bird on the tree.
o Inspire people to reduce use of plastic bags and help avoid soil and water pollution. o Communicate among children about recycling and reuse of the old materials.
o Inspire Local Bodies to organise wastes pick programmes. Educate rag pickers to take part in wastes pick programmes. Assure, they receive reasonable compensation with due health care.
o Remove nails, wire, strings, etc. tied with trees/ plants displaying, banners, etc. Ask Local body to charge such advertisers. Ask media to report of such shame.
Let every day of our life be the earth day, and take care of the earth on daily basis.
Naresh Thakar, Gandhinagar