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.

From SGK-Planet we express it with this analysis:

It only took half a century to challenge our Mother Earth, so much so that the environment is on the verge of collapse. We must take urgent action on deforestation, ocean degradation, and soil desertification, and implement the Stockholm, Rio, and Paris concepts as quickly as possible. It is imperative to return the climate, vegetation cover alteration, species extinction, and biogeochemical fluxes to their natural limits; we will also have surpassed the limits that the Earth allows us. If we fail to do so, 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