Mother Earth Day 2023

Every year, on April 22, International Mother Earth Day is celebrated. A motto is chosen for the occasion. For this year 2023, has been chosen: “Invest in our planet”. It is a message to work for a green and sustainable planet that offers the opportunity to live on a healthy planet, through a green economy that favors the protection of the planet’s environment.

The ephemeris was established in 1970 and corresponds more than anything to a symbolic intention with marches, rallies, volunteer acts, etc. If you read this article, you will realize that the facts have gone in the opposite direction to the good wishes and resolutions of these events, climate conferences and Earth summits. Let’s see:

Between 1972 and 2022 our planet suffered the greatest human depredation in the last ten thousand years. In barely half a century from Stockholm 1972 to last year, it can be stated that there was almost no corner of the planet that did not suffer some degradation of its air, soil, and water, as a consequence of the human presence on Earth. We pointed out this situation at SGK-Planet in our Special Report “Criticism of global climate management in the last half century”, published in August 2022.

From the aforementioned analysis we have extracted the following paragraph:

Just half a century was enough for us to challenge our Mother Earth, in such a way that the environment is about to explode. If we do not take drastic measures regarding deforestation, the degradation of the oceans, the desertification of soils. If we do not put into practice as soon as possible the concepts issued in Stockholm, Rio, and Paris. If we do not manage to return the climate, the alteration of the vegetation cover, the extinction of species and the alteration of biogeochemical flows to their natural limits, we too will have crossed the limits that the Earth allows us. If we don’t make it back, we may not be able to continue telling our story.

The paragraph is strong, but it is true and necessary. It would have to be repeated ad nauseam in educational, academic, and other places where culture and knowledge are taught.

While it is true that progress is being made in terms of the energy transition, it is also true that the fight against climate change continues to slow down in other areas. The deforestation of the tropical forests continues, new oil explorations are opened, the oceans are polluted, the soils are degraded, etc. We have seen its consequences last year and in these months. There were a number of catastrophic events, but they have at least served to lower the volume of climate change denialist voices, but not their activities.

If we want to give a couple of gifts to the planet on Mother Earth Day 2024, these could be:

1. Officially establish the Anthropocene as the new geological age in which we live.
2. Decree officially the Climate Emergency worldwide.

We have a whole year to do it. It doesn’t cost too much, and both are important.

We know that these nominalisms do not guarantee that things will change substantially per se, but they would have a great impact on public opinion and would be a strong call to action for us to change our attitude towards the Earth, this wonderful globe covered in blue paper that we have received as a gift. Let’s think about it. ¡Happy Mother Earth Day!

Sandor Alejandro Gerendas-Kiss