International Earth Day 2006: Stop Global Warming!
What is Earth Day? Why do we need to celebrate? Earth Day is celebrated every 22nd of April. It marks the anniversary of the birth of the environmental movement in 1970. The founder Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator, proposed the first nationwide environmental protest "to shake up the political establishment and force this issue onto the national agenda".
April 22, millions of Americans went to the streets to demonstrate for a healthy and sustainable environment. Massive coast-to-coast rallies were organized. Thousands of colleges and universities also organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values.
Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, city slickers and farmers, tycoons and labor leaders. The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species acts.
Sen. Nelson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor given to civilians in the United States for his role as Earth Day founder.
Every year, Earth Day is celebrated with different themes. Large events such as festivals, concerts and outdoor activities are organized. It is considered as the largest non-religious holiday in the world. This year, we have “STOP GLOBAL WARMING" as the theme. It denotes issues concerning global warming.
What is global warming by the way? We usually hear it in a radio, television, and even from our teachers. But we may more realize if we really understand it.
Global warming refers to an average increase in the Earth's temperature, which in turn causes changes in climate. A warmer Earth may lead to changes in rainfall patterns, a rise in sea level, and a wide range of impacts on plants, wildlife, and humans. When scientists talk about the issue of climate change, their concern is about global warming caused by human activities.
The Earth's atmosphere traps heat escaping from the surface of the planet, which keeps us warm. Carbon dioxide, part of the mixture of gases in our atmosphere (called greenhouse gases), is very good at trapping heat. Some of the greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere from nature every day. For example, carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere daily from decaying plant matter and forest fires. More examples of greenhouse gasses are water vapor, methane and nitrous oxide. Human-made chemicals that act as greenhouse gases include chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
Wide areas of Earth's forests are being cut down for wood and to clear land for farming and for cities and towns. It diminished number of trees to absorb and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The balance of gases in the atmosphere has changed significantly. As a result, more heat is being trapped in the atmosphere. The more heat trapped, the warmer the Earth becomes, and the greater climates across the globe will change.
An increase in overall temperature is changing weather patterns. Hurricanes and other extreme weather are likely to be more severe and devastating, as witnessed recently by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
So what can we do? We can simply be more careful. Take the time to look to see if the spray products you buy have an 'ozone-friendly' or 'CFC free' label or statement. If you are asthmatic, ask your doctor about the availability of new propellants that do not contribute to ozone damage. When changing the coolant in your car or home air conditioner or refrigerator, go to a reputable dealer who supplies ozone safe products. Read more about global warming. Avoid burning of trashes. Create a compost pit in your backyard. Do a tree planting. And in a very simple way, do not throw your candy wrappers anywhere else. These simple measures do not cost anything more, but can go a long way in ensuring that we minimize any future destruction of our precious ozone layer and stop global warming. If you care about your children, you must take care of your environment. Celebrate Earth Day!