The first Earth Day was April 22, 1970. The idea was to raise awareness about our role in protecting our natural world.
It originally started out as more of a political movement, though today it has become a popular day for many communities to clean up litter, plant trees, or simply reflect on nature.
It was in 1970, that Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson and an activist John McConnell separately asked Americans to join in a grassroots demonstration. McConnell chose the spring equinox (March 21, 1970) and Nelson chose April 22.
Earth Day continues to be widely celebrated. The focus of Earth Day 2019 is protection of Earth species. The Earth Day Network, which runs Earth Day, claims that we are now losing species at 1,000 to 10,000 times the normal rate.
Insect populations have decreased by more than 45% worldwide, 40% of the world’s bird species are in decline, and beekeepers report annual hive losses of 30% or higher.
Many species will disappear before we learn about them or the benefits they bring to our ecosystems and our planet. The loss is so great that the welfare and future of the human species are threatened. Earth Day 2019 is marked by extreme contradictions. Scientists around the world agree that climate change, caused by an increase and trapping of greenhouse gases within the earth’s atmosphere, is our reality. Ocean temperatures and acidity, sea levels, and coastal flooding are on the rise because of temperature shifts. As a result it is the greatest existential crisis facing humanity today.
According to Guardian Columnist George Monbiot, capitalism is destroying the earth and we need a new human right to fight for future generations https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/mar/15/capitalism-destroying-earth-human-right-climate-strike-children and only rebellion will prevent an ecological apocalypse https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/apr/15/rebellion-prevent-ecological-apocalypse-civil-disobedience.
Today’s planetary ecological crisis is due first and foremost to the increasing scale of the capitalist world economy. Capitalism is a system totally reliant on the exploitation of nature, whether that be sacrificing our clean water to frack for hydrocarbons or sacrificing our children to the production line. We must deelop new ideas of what a different future may look like outside the constraints of both capital and fossil fuels in order to move forwards to a sustainable future for humanity, instead of one of catastrophe.
Meanwhile inspiringly protests calling for the UK government to declare a climate emergency have entered a second week.Activists have stopped traffic in a series of demonstrations across London since Monday with actions including fixing a boat at the junction of Oxford Street and Regent Street, occupying Waterloo Bridge and disrupting the Docklands Light Railway by climbing on a train.
A total of 963 people had been arrested as of 7pm on Sunday while 40 have been charged in connection with the protests, the Met Police said.
A spokesman for the Extinction Rebellion movement said there would be no escalation of activity on Earth Day, but warned that the disruption could get "much worse" if politicians were not open to their negotiation requests. The activists are holding a "people's assembly" at Marble Arch today between 3pm and 5pm, to decide where they go next.This will be followed by a feast celebrating "life, community and collectivity". Everyone is invited, and attendees are encouraged to bring throws and flowers to decorate tables.
We should keep demanding a system change not Climate Change. There really is no Plan B, not yet at least. This world is all we have. Earth Day is a day to recognize the richness of our planet and, as its trustees, do everything we can to protect it. Happy Earth Day.
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