Earth Day: April 22
Dr. Parveen Kumar*
Today, once again the world has come together for a common cause with a commitment to remember, act and reflect. It is day to always remember that earth is our only home and any adverse action on our part will have a adverse bearing on us. It is a day to act in a direction wherein its natural resources are not destroyed and that our actions should be reflected in the form of a healthy environment. The decades of exploitation of planet by human beings through overuse of its resources, deforestation, crude cultivation practices, overgrazing, usage of single use plastics and various other anthropogenic activities has created havoc and if it continues for some more time, the planet will not be a fit place for living. The alarm bells are already ringing in the form of record breaking heat waves, melting of glaciers, severe floods, droughts, Bio diversity loss, rising sea levels and many other associated risks to life on this planet.
As of 2026; Earth, the only planet in this universe to host life is home to about 8.3 billion peoples leaving aside trillions of other organisims. It not only provides us with everything we want, but also everything we need to survive. This fifth largest planet in the solar system provides the food we need for life, water we need for hydration, air and the oxygen we need to breathe. Literally everything we need comes from this one planet. We rely upon it for our existence in many different ways. Everything in this planet demands proper conservation and a justifiable development without which a proper balance cannot be achieved. All the components of this planet are equally important and a disturbance to any one of the component have serious and adverse repercussions on the other components ultimately affecting the planet as a whole. Over the past few decades, human beings and various anthropogenic activities have irrevocably upset the balance existing on this planet and as a result, the world is passing through one of its severe crisis. The unprecedented global destruction and rapid reduction of plant and wildlife populations are directly linked to causes driven by human activity viz. climate change, deforestation, habitat loss, trafficking and poaching, unsustainable agriculture, pollution and pesticides to name a few. The impacts are far-reaching.
An important component of our planet is our land which we put to different uses. The land represent a natural ecosystem composed of many elements those exhibit diverse bio physical characteristics that are interlinked and interdependent. It also supports a number of economic activities and influences health and nutrition of man and animals. Due to poor soil and water management practices about 40 to 50 per cent of the land area suffers from degradation of one or the other kind. The indiscriminate use of plant protection chemicals during green revolution and thereafter in states like Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh to increase the crop yields has led to water pollution. Such is the extent that drinking such polluted water has resulted in many deadly diseases among peoples in the states like Punjab and Haryana. Similarly use of chemical fertilizers and plant protection chemicals has also led to soil degradation and a considerable percentage of our land has become unfit for cultivation. If we do not act now, extinction may be humanity’s most enduring legacy. To aware the masses about the threats to earth and to work for restoring the health of this planet; World Earth Day is celebrated every year on April 22.
Originated in 1970, the event is now coordinated and celebrated internationally by the Earth Day Network in more than 193 countries across the globe. Earth Day was celebrated in April 1970 for the first time to bring the environmental condition into the national agenda. On the first Earth Day, 20 million Americans took part in different U.S. cities. The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, when San Francisco activist John McConnell and Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson separately asked Americans to join in a grassroots demonstration. Dealing with dangerously serious issues concerning toxic drinking water, air pollution, and the effects of pesticides, an impressive 20 million Americans 10% of the population ventured outdoors and protested together. President of the United States of America Richard Nixon led the nation in creating the Environmental Protection Agency, which followed with successful laws including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act. Environmental Activist McConnell originally had chosen the spring equinox (March 20, 1970), but Nelson chose April 22, which ended up becoming the official celebration date. (Given that the date of the spring equinox changes over time, it may have made things more complicated to go with the astronomical event rather than just a calendar date.)
The sway forward lies in transition to renewable sources of energy. The use of renewable energy sources like solar, wind, Geo-thermal and hydropower replenish themselves naturally. Nuclear energy is also considered a clean source though it involves the use of a non-renewable resource (uranium). Renewable Energy Sources includes solar energy which harnesses sunlight to generate electricity through photovoltaic (PV) panels or concentrating solar power (CSP) systems. Wind energy is produced by utilizing wind turbines to convert kinetic energy into electricity. Generating electricity from fast moving water constitutes hydroelectricity. The Geo-thermal energy produces electricity by extracting heat from the interior of earth. Biomass like wood or agricultural wastes is another source of producing clean electricity. Tidal energy can be produced by harnessing the power of tides to generate electricity. Nuclear energy is generated through nuclear fission. Green hydrogen is also a clean source of energy. Firstly Hydrogen is produced using renewable energy sources which can then be used for electricity generation through fuel cells.
Clean energy helps mitigate climate change by reducing reliance on fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas, which release significant amounts of greenhouse gases when burned. It also helps improve the quality of air we breathe. We have seen and read reports of how our cities are grappling with pollution and issue of clean air. The vehicular emission and burning of crop residues by farmers have resulted in smog and this has made air poisonous. Air Quality Index (AQI) has deteriorated to such a low level that it has become a serious health issue. This can be taken care of by use of clean electricity. When we produce clean electricity, it means we are reducing or eliminating emissions from power plants which ultimately produce clean electricity and helps improve air quality thereby reducing the health impacts of pollution. Diversifying energy sources, including renewable and clean technologies also reduce our dependence on foreign energy supplies and enhance
energy security. The development and deployment of clean energy technologies also lead to creation of jobs, stimulate economic growth, and foster innovation. In the country, large solar parks have been established which provide a significant amount of electricity to grids. A large no. of dams built on rivers also generates electricity generation.
Government of India has also started many programmes to augment clean electricity generation through various programmes like PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Pariyojana. PM KUSUM is another one of the largest initiatives in the world to provide clean energy to more than 3.5 million farmers. India also took the lead in forming an action oriented, member driven platform for increased deployment of solar energy technologies, the International Solar Alliance (ISA). ISA was launched in 2015 by Prime minister of India and President of France at the United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Paris.
We have to work to ensure that our actions in no way lead to emission of green house gases, degradation and pollution of our natural resources and lead to a situation where our natural reservoirs or carbon sinks are destroyed. The best way to ensure this is through mass awareness and the April 22 provides us an opportunity to make the peoples aware of the impending threat to our planet and the possible way out. Ultimately our power lies in the well being of our planet. As world’s one of the largest event, Earth Day reminds us that we are powerful, not powerless and our actions at the micro level have the power to bring in the desired changes at the macro level. We can motivate peoples to join community cleanup drives, plant trees and reduce their environmental footprint. We can advocate for use of renewable sources of energy like wind power, solar power. At the same time promoting community-based initiatives such as water harvesting, kitchen gardening, urban agriculture have the potential to maintain a healthy environment. Revising education curriculum to incorporate usage and benefits of renewable sources of energy, climate resilience and sustainability is also a must. After all, the future of my planet is in my hand.
The author writes on agriculture & social issues; can be reached at [email protected]
