Earth Day, an annual celebration of the efforts made to support the environment, occurs on April 22nd throughout the world. This day is meant to help raise awareness of environmental issues through rallies, service projects, conferences, and other outdoor activities. Although Earth Day began as a small grassroots movement, its existence has propelled the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the passage of the Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Water Quality Improvement Act, the Federal Occupational Health and Safety Act, and others.
The Earth is an amazing ecosystem that allows many types of living organisms to interact and survive in the ideal conditions for life—not too warm and not too cold with the perfect amount of water. Our technology today allows us the ability to see how our use of the Earth’s resources is affecting us, both today and in the future.
From climate change to air pollution, our livable ecosystem faces many issues that, if left unchecked, could ruin life for future generations.
Climate Change
In 2017, the Guardian released a report on how global fossil fuel output was sending our planet into a climate change at rates that haven’t been seen since the end of the Ice Age.
With the warming climate, researchers have made the discovery of mummified twigs in Antartica. BBC shared in the story that the mummified twigs signified the last time that the Earth’s air carried the same concentration of greenhouse gas, which allowed for plant life to exist in Antartica. Scientists and researchers warn that this shift in the Earth’s climate will have radical consequences for the lives and environment we know today.
Deforestation
Since 2000, agricultural development has taken a huge chunk of the Sub-Saharan African forest. In fact, the forest has lost most of its trees, roughly the size of Iceland. Deforestation only continues to grow as farmlands are becoming more necessary for the survival of the human race.
Meanwhile, in South America, cattle farming has reduced forests which, in turn, has reduced the amount of rainfall and increased carbon dioxide emissions.
In 2019, Brazil is moving to stop illegal deforestation. However, with recent changes in the government, they are unlikely to reach their goal. This is unfortunate, as Brazilian rainforest shelters house over a million different plants and animals. The protection of this habitat is crucial to the overall health of our planet.
Water Shortage
With an Earth that's 71% water, it’s strange that many places in the world are experiencing a water shortage. Parts of Sub-Saharan Africa have dealt with droughts that have lasted for decades. In fact, many people walk miles every day in search of water.
More horrifying, the World Health Organization reported that 1.8 billion people around the world have no other choice than to drink water that’s contaminated by feces.
Meanwhile, in 2019, CNN reported that an environmental agency believes England will deal with an extreme water shortage within the next 25 years. This water shortage stems from a warming climate and rapid population growth.
Air Pollution
With the continued boom of industrial activity, air pollution only worsens. In fact, the World Health Organization reported that 9 out of 10 people live in cities with extremely poor air quality. China remains at the top of the list for countries with excessive air pollution.
More recently, in 2019, researchers have determined that air pollution can significantly reduce the life expectancy of children by 20 months. The 2019 State of Global Air (SOGA) report exposed air pollution as the fifth leading factor in mortality in the world. Air pollution is responsible for more deaths in the world than malnutrition, alcohol, and drugs.
This air quality problem is not contained to Asia, but it also affects London. The King’s College London and Imperial College London found that over 4,000 Londoners were hospitalized due to asthma and other lung conditions caused by air pollution.
While Earth Day has brought forth much-needed change since its inception on April 22, 1970, there is still much to be done to protect the world’s ecosystem. If everyone took small steps towards lessening their use of earth's non-renewable resources, our planet would be in a much better position moving forward into the future.
Earth Day has helped to popularize recycling, offer new energy efficient solutions, create cleaner vehicles, control the depletion of the ozone layer, and much more.
To celebrate Earth Day, consider what type of green acts you can take up, such as biking to work or washing your laundry in cold water. Grab a trash bag and picking up trash in your local park or along roadways. Plant a tree. Turn off your lights when you aren’t in a room to conserve energy and power. While our environment face's many issues, these small habits can help make a change.
At Golden Arrow, Earth Day represents many of the reasons why we choose to be 100% sustainable: from our factory processes to our end product. Our factories run on sustainable energies with no waste and recycled water. Before you purchase products, be sure to check that the company you’re supporting is supporting our Earth’s environment.
