Today is Earth Day. It was created in the US by late former democratic Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson and by 1990, Earth day had gone global, heralding a call to millions of people in more than 140 countries to take up environmental issues and turning them into a movement world wide.
Like I have said on occasions like this, now is the time to consider our actions as regards the earth we live in and our environment. We should take this time to reflect soberly and be thankful first of all that we have a place we can call home. Let's be thankful also for the air we breathe, the natural environment which includes land, hills, mountains, oceans and seas; rivers, streams and lake.
Recent studies have shown that cities like Mumbai and New Delhi in India; Seoul in South Korea and Wuhan in China, where this pandemic started have all seen a drastic decline in harmful microscopic particulate matter known as PM2.5. This pollutant which is smaller than 2.5 micrometres in diameter is considered dangerous as it can lodge deep into the human lungs and pass from there into other organs and subsequently the blood stream causing serious health problems. Air pollution is another global health crisis which kills 7 million people yearly. From this analysis, it is possible that the earth and the environment can be better if only we try. If the Covid-19 pandemic can bring positive changes to the environment then we could effortlessly and collectively make lasting changes on the earth and environment if we just put our minds to it.
The game reserves and national parks, the list goes on and on.But as we reflect, let’s also remember that the environment and earth is under duress and extreme pressure from the ills of land, air and water pollution and other forms of natural hazards like hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis.
We have seen in time past the utter destruction of various parts of the earth by these elements. Some have been natural and some have been man made. Flooding and erosion for example are as a result of man made activities such as vegetation cover removal, deforestation and acute land pollution and blockage of drainage canals.
Gas flaring in oil producing nations has contributed largely to air pollution which gives rise to global warming and subsequently climate change. Industrial and chemical effluents and wastes discharged into water bodies which kill aquatic life and destroy ecosystems pollute water bodies.
Recent studies have shown that cities like Mumbai and New Delhi in India; Seoul in South Korea and Wuhan in China, where this pandemic started have all seen a drastic decline in harmful microscopic particulate matter known as PM2.5. This pollutant which is smaller than 2.5 micrometres in diameter is considered dangerous as it can lodge deep into the human lungs and pass from there into other organs and subsequently the blood stream causing serious health problems. Air pollution is another global health crisis which kills 7 million people yearly. From this analysis, it is possible that the earth and the environment can be better if only we try. If the Covid-19 pandemic can bring positive changes to the environment then we could effortlessly and collectively make lasting changes on the earth and environment if we just put our minds to it.
Going Green is not an option. We must adopt greener energy alternatives if we are going to preserve the earth for posterity. The aesthetic nature, beauty and form of the earth is changing. Waterfalls are shrinking beacause of droughts and extreme changes in weather patterns; ice sheets and glaciers are also shrinking and melting. Sea levels are rising; flooding and erosion are changing the face of the earth. We can take action and now is the time to take action!
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