Once a year or all year round? How much care does planet earth deserve?
Forty-five years ago Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970. John McConnell, a peace activist, proposed the first day of spring, March 21, 1970, as Earth Day during a UNESCO conference in San Francisco 1969. However, the date changed to April 22 when refocused by a US senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in. April 22 stuck in North America and spread internationally in the early 1990s. Now, approximately 200 countries celebrate the day.
Today, in Powell River, Earth Day is again celebrated and this celebration has been extended into an entire Earth Week. Similar to April last year, the community’s focus is drawn to earth-friendly activities, events, movies, open houses and education.
Businesses are rising to the challenge, notably First Credit Union with its five-day quest to instill change within the working day. Two-sided Tuesday, Thirsty Thursday, Fading Friday add humour to respect for the planet. It is not just the credit union. Other businesses are introducing easy practices too.
A Sustainability Charter for the Powell River Region was signed by community stakeholders in 2010. Recently, the intent of the charter has fed into the city’s sustainable official community plan (SOCP). A sustainability steering committee, started in 2013, is nearing the end of its mandate. Among other tasks, it has been incorporating sustainable principles from the charter, SOCP and other environmentally-focused documents, into an integrated community sustainability plan. The plan will be used when making local government decisions.
This week is an opportunity for reflection and pause. Humans have been on the planet for a tiny speck of its 4.5-billion-year history. Type “human impact on” into a search on Google and a list of suggestions comes up: the environment, climate change, biodiversity, ecosystems, the carbon cycle, the nitrogen cycle, the water cycle, global warming...the list goes on.
Is it possible to reduce that human footprint? Can measures be taken to sustain human life, yet at the same time be implemented with sufficient thought and consideration that no negative reaction is caused? After all the dust settles, all actions incur a reaction.
Happy Earth Day and enjoy Earth Week.
