Today is Earth Day. A day in which "more than 1 billion people in 192 countries" participate in raising awareness about the plight of our beautiful planet. According to www.earthday.org, this is the biggest civic-focussed day of action in the world.
As we all know, our planet and all its inhabitants are in grave danger and we have just 11 years in which to do something or face extinction.
The last couple of weeks have been poignant. One of the worlds most famous churches went up in flames as the world gasped in horror. This, on the day people took to the streets in peaceful protest, lead by Extinction Rebellion, demanding governments start to:
1. TELL THE TRUTH by declaring a climate emergency!
2. ACT NOW to stop biodiversity loss and reduce green house gas emissions to net zero by 2025
3. BEYOND POLITICS by consulting a Citizens' Assembly on climate and ecological justice.
The irony is dumbfounding. Government and business leaders pledged billions in a matter of hours to rebuild Notre Dame. There were no outcries from concerned politicians or billionaires putting up funds to rebuild our burning planet...only commuters moaning about having to sit in traffic longer. But the protesters stood their ground and have held the roads and bridges for over a week. There have been over 700 arrests of people willing to give up their liberty for our planet.
Earth Day Focus
This year the focus is 'Protect Our Species.' The campaign sets to raise awareness about accelerating extinction rates and the repercussions to our fragile ecosystems. They aim to achieve this by campaigning for policies that the protect a broad groups of species and their habitats, building an active movement that respects nature and encouraging people to switch to a plant-based diet fuelled pesticide and herbicide-free growing practices.
To stay up-to-date with the the Protect Our Species campaign, sign up through this link.
At Novel Creatives, protecting our magnificent planet and all of its residents is paramount. It is built into our foundations and guides our every business decision. We believe that the only way real change can happen is through a collective effort. One where creative skills can truly shine through.
What are you going to be doing this Earth Day?