For A Good Earth
The year 2009 is momentous. With the world going through the rough and tumble of the economic slowdown, the world G20 leaders met in April in London this year to collectively pledge to work for an inclusive, green and sustainable economy and pay serious attention to the crisis of deepening threat due to irreversible climate change, as a mainstream agenda issue.
In that sense, the celebration of Earth Day on April 22nd is more significant this time, in reaffirming our obligation to the mother earth of cleaner environment, self regulation and to show that we sincerely care.
Gaining momentum: The G20 leaders met in London in early April this year to affirm their pledge to work collectively and put momentum to the economic recovery stimulus measures. The summit communiqué identified the following focus areas for best possible necessary action:
- restore confidence, growth, and jobs
- repair the financial system to restore lending
- strengthen financial regulation to rebuild trust
- fund and reform the international financial institutions to overcome this crisis and prevent future ones
- promote global trade and investment and reject protectionism, to underpin prosperity and
- build an inclusive, green and sustainable recovery
Significantly, as part of the core commitments, the call for action to make the environment inclusive in the recovery mission been now made explicit in attempting for a sustainable economic recovery.
The G20 in the process would now be taking more constructive steps for green stimulus measures in amending the environmental scars and in working out a better global climate regime at the UN Climate Change conference, due in Copenhagen in December 2009, for a cohesive international understanding on climate change after Kyoto. Ahead of this UN summit, preparatory talks and meeting of Major Economies Forum leaders in July are to take place as part of the build up initiatives.
An unequal music: The world today is facing multiple challenges – a global recession, food and fuel inadequacy, water crisis, acute poverty, mounting ecological problems, major climate change issues, to mention a few. These challenges are interrelated and need to be tackled in a co-ordinated way.
Notwithstanding the fact that the economic recovery packages put forward by many countries amount in total to a large sum of money, the stimulus measures still need to be assessed in terms of their climate friendliness. There is a growing felt need to put climate / energy security at the core of the economic recovery measures so that the packages can be productive on the face of the climate crisis issues.
It is by truly balancing the economic and environmental acts together, we can help build a green inclusive sustainable economy.
Of importance therefore, is to help marshal opinion & support to signal that we genuinely care for our climate and it matters a great deal to all of us. Participatory, symbolic campaigns like Earth Hour, Earth Day have been at the forefront in garnering global support for urgent action on climate change.
On March 28 this year, the Earth Hour call for action for a safer living planet received an overwhelming global response. A billion people across 88 countries and including 20,000 corporates and 1,000 iconic landmarks endorsed the cause by switching lights off for an hour.
Earth Day: It is celebrated on April 22 every single year, to inspire awareness and appreciation for the earth’s environment. Started in 1970, Earth Day went global around the year 1990 in mobilizing millions of people across the countries to raise the fight for environmental issues at the world stage and help pave the path for the UN Earth Summit in Rio in 1992.By the year 2000, the movement derived on the benefit of Internet medium in garnering significant support through networking and harnessing of environment activist groups around the world.
The celebration of Earth Day continues today, in re-pledging every year our obligations to care and share to build a clean and healthy world for the future generations. It allows us to reflect as to how much been achieved so far and can be done more to protect our planet earth.
Even by way of simple self regulation, both at the individual / collective level, some of the care and share practices are easy to follow, such as:
- Be green sensitive – learn, practice and disseminate the awareness for green philosophy
- Participate and stand to encourage green legislation
- Recycle and reuse items
- Conserve water, energy, fuel by everyday action of austerity and efficient use
- Help reduce carbon emissions by cutting down in driving and using fuel efficient vehicles to commute
The fact remains, we heal ourselves by caring for our earth – let everyday be Earth Day. 
Copyright ©: Consultancy Services Group
