Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Year : 2, Issue : 18
by Tasneem Hossain
What does a mother do?
She nurtures her children. She prepares food for them and provides clothing and protection. She loves them, cherishes, educates and helps them to live a happy life. These are the things that our Earth provides us with. This is why we call her Mother Nature or Mother Earth.
‘I nurture you, I build you strong.
Fresh air, sweet water and arable land all around.
I nourish you in the womb,
I nurture you in my lap all year round
I am Mother Nature
Mess with me; I create destruction all around’
Yes, this is Mother Nature giving us so much and nourishing us all the time. Yet, what have we done? We have only brought destruction to this earth with our mindless acts. Now Mother Nature is lashing back in anger to teach us a lesson to take care of her, for our survival.
We have taken the world for granted. Our greed to control nature and exploit all its resources to have more and more on our platters for consumption and profit making has affected the ozone layer, destroyed the natural balance of the ecosystem and brought many natural disasters. Our greed has resulted in an impending doom.
Experts predict that we’re in the midst of a sixth mass extinction.
In a mass extinction, a high percentage of biodiversity, or distinct species – bacteria, fungi, plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates die in a short period of geological time. When one or more species go extinct or if there’s a significant population decline, it can’t continue its proper balance, threatening the survival of other species in the whole ecosystem. There have been five previous mass extinctions on the planet. The last one occurred 65.5 million years ago, wiping out the dinosaurs.
Those extinctions were the results of natural phenomena.
Sadly, human activities are responsible for the upcoming sixth mass extinction due to the unsustainable use of land, water and energy. We, human beings, are in dire need of taking care of our environment to exist on this planet.
We aren’t only over-exploiting available resources but also generating immense pollution that disrupts biodiversity. The environment is being destroyed by pollution from factories, plastic waste, and deforestation, intensified agriculture and livestock production accelerating the destruction of our Earth leading to one of the biggest threats to human survival: climate change.
The recent flooding in Dubai is likely the result of global warming. Climate change and global warming are also the likely cause of the ongoing heatwaves in Bangladesh. A seasonal high heat record of ocean temperature is witnessed globally. It’s a grave threat to some marine life. Extreme heat can result in a range of illnesses and death, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
If preventive measures aren’t taken in time, life-sustaining biodiversity will continue to lose at an alarming rate threatening humanity’s future.
Following a decade of local protests for air and water pollution in the United States, Earth Day was launched at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco in 1969. Earth Day was held for the first time in California, US on Apr 22, 1970. The first international recognition of the interdependence of humans, other living things, and our planet was established during the UN Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm in 1972. It led to the establishment of World Environment Day on 5th June and the UN Environment program. World Earth Day serves as a reminder that we are part of a complex ecosystem and that the health of the earth is deeply correlated with our well-being.
The United Nations General Assembly designated Apr 22 as International Mother Earth Day through a resolution adopted in 2009, joining groups that had previously celebrated Earth Day on the same date.
Both these days and World Environment Day focus on raising our awareness about global environmental challenges facing our planet: from climate change and deforestation to pollution and loss of biodiversity and sustainable resource management.
It doesn’t only create awareness but it calls for collective action to take proactive measures for environmental conservation worldwide; to restore the damages we have caused to nature and to nurture nature and the Earth for a harmonious relationship; to achieve a balance for the economic, social, and environmental needs of the present and future generations of humanity; and adopt eco-friendly practices.
The theme for World Earth Day 2024 by the official Earth Day organisers, EARTHDAY.ORG is “Planet vs. Plastics”.
The theme aims to increase public awareness of the harmful effects of plastic pollution on the environment and its inhabitants. Its focus is to continue a concerted effort globally to significantly reduce the use of plastic, and decrease 60 percent of plastic manufacture by 2040.
Plastic is one of the most produced materials as it is cheap, easy to manufacture and use. During the whole life cycle of plastic production, it causes toxic gas emissions resulting in grave risks. Some plastics are life-threatening when combusted. It’s mainly produced from fossil fuels: oil and gas. The more plastic we make, the more fossil fuel is required, and the more we aggravate the climate crisis.
Do you know that making a plastic water bottle requires six times as much water as the bottle itself contains? What a waste of water supply as well!
Some plastics are imperishable for centuries, polluting and threatening each living being. According to EarthDay.Org, worldwide more than 500 billion plastic bags were produced per minute last year, almost half of which is for ‘single- use.’ The huge volume of ‘single-use’ plastic waste ends up in lands, rivers, and oceans, and when exposed to environmental conditions such as solar irradiation and abrasion, it slowly breaks down, releasing micro- and nano-plastic, which is consumed by small marine organisms, entering the food chain and air causing starvation or death.
According to the UN website, 11 million tonnes of plastic waste flow annually into lakes, rivers and oceans. Over 800 marine and coastal species are affected by this pollution through ingestion, entanglement, and other dangers.
Plastic poses a grave threat to human life as well. It releases toxic chemicals into our food and water sources and circulates through the air we breathe. It’s estimated that each person annually consumes more than 50,000 plastic particles and more if inhalation is considered. These flow through our bloodstream and stick to our internal organs causing cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
It’s crucial to halve the annual greenhouse gas emissions. If we fail, air pollution beyond safe guidelines will skyrocket by 50 per cent within the decade; almost tripling plastic waste into aquatic ecosystems by 2040.
In 2022, 175 UN Member States signed a significant historic resolution to end plastic pollution and form a legally binding international agreement that will be ready by the end of 2024.
To tackle the curse of plastic pollution and achieve this target, urgent action and effective solutions can only be made by collaboration of the governments, businesses and individuals. Governments need to make bold environmental policies to push extended producer and consumer responsibilities. Each of us has a role. Along with necessary policy changes by the government, behavioural changes of manufacturers and consumers can make a huge difference
Packaging professionals must also be dedicated to adopting environmentally sustainable methods and finding revolutionary solutions for recycling the plastic packaging already in circulation. Manufacturers must label clear messages and produce materials to make recycling easier for consumers.
We, the consumers must make an effort and be a part of the ‘Go Green’ campaign by recycling bottles, plastics and cans used especially in restaurants, bars, picnics, superstores and parties or social gatherings and use reusable utensils. We can also take a reusable water bottle instead of drinking bottled water. We can replace plastic bags, water bottles and utensils with reusable shopping bags and earthenware utensils.
The future generations should be informed of the damage that has already been done and educated on how to tackle the situation to save this planet from future disasters.
We have only one earth. We are running out of time to save our planet. But by working together and sharing knowledge, progress can be accelerated. Each one of us can make a difference by adopting a sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle. Each individual action will contribute to a greater collective difference in saving Mother Earth.
Let’s celebrate International Mother Earth Day by beginning our life anew: better, kinder and enlightened in our attitudes towards our fellow human beings, our surroundings and Mother Nature.
Mother Earth nourishes us in her womb. It’s our responsibility to nurture her for our own sake and the future generations to come.
Let’s take action to save nature for a safer, beautiful future.
Author is a multilingual poet, columnist, op-ed and fiction writer, translator, educator and training consultant. She is the Director of the Continuing Education Centre, Bangladesh.
References:
1. EARTHDAY.ORG, PLANET VS. PLASTICS: GLOBAL THEME FOR EARTH DAY 2024, JULY 31, 2023
