Candy 580 Posted April 22, 2020 Happy Earth Day! Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the earth essentially being 'closed' to humans, this year's Earth Day seems to be a quiet one. Each year, millions of people are estimated to participate in environmental action to address the massive challenges facing the earth. Last year's theme was plastic pollution, while this year's focus is climate action. Earth Day celebrations would usually include community tree planting initiatives, beach and other cleanups, national park or forest visits, and other outdoor activities. This year, although most celebrations were cancelled, some are still holding virtual events. Earthday.org is going digital with a full programme of activities for anyone interesting in joining. Although the pandemic is severe, tragic and scary for many, to me it also appears as a great reminder of what's at stake in the fight for our planet. The lockdowns have seen skies clear of pollution, wildlife returning to deserted places, and greenhouse gas levels reducing drastically as travel, commuting and other industries come to a halt. Venetians claim they haven't seen clear water in Venice's canals in approx. 60 years! In previous years, I loved being outdoors, preferably barefoot, doing a mindful walk, earthing/grounding, and taking deep breaths while sending love and gratitude to Mother Earth. This year I find it a bit sad not being able to do that, being on complete lockdown, but I encourage everyone who can leave their homes for an hour to do just that! Connecting with the earth and being out in nature is proven to have very many health benefits. What will you get up to today to celebrate and honour our beautiful, abundant Pachamama? Whatever it is, let us all on this 50th Earth Day anniversary, during this incredibly unique time in our lives, take time to reflect on our choices and acknowledge and take responsibility for our actions related to the earth and the climate. Remember also: "The earth is not an endless deposit of resources to exploit." Photo by Casey Horner on Unsplash
Lizzie 477 Posted April 23, 2020 Thanks for bringing this up! It's a shame Earth Day this year ended up in the shadow of the pandemic, feels like we needed to celebrate it this year more than ever 🧡 Even though some of us are not able to go out and enjoy mother nature, I agree it's a great opportunity to reflect and maybe take a first step towards changing our behaviour in some ways. Even if it's something like recycling, reducing single use plastic, or asking restaurants to provide non plastic containers for take out food - everything counts and everything matters! ✨
