Let's combat climate change

Ranjan K Baruah *

There are many occasions and special days which are celebrated for the environment. We are more aware of the world environment day which has become a global event in recent years. There are many campaigns and movements for the planet earth.

There is more need of movements for combating climate change as we are also aware that climate change is bringing more questions than answers. One of the largest environmental movements is Earth Day.

On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. Thousands of colleges and universities 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.

The United Nations General Assembly, recognizing that Mother Earth is a common expression for the planet earth in a number of countries and regions, which reflects the interdependence that exists among human beings, other living species and the planet we all inhabit, and noting that Earth Day is observed each year in many countries, decided to designate 22 April as International Mother Earth Day in 2009, with resolution A/RES/63/278.

Earth Day was first celebrated in the United States in 1970 and is organised by the Earth Day Network. Its mission is to broaden and diversify the environmental movement worldwide and to mobilize it as the most effective vehicle to build a healthy, sustainable environment, address climate change, and protect the Earth for future generations. With this year's theme, looking forward to its 50th anniversary, it sets the goal of planting 7.8 billion trees over the next five years.

This year theme for the day 'Trees for the Earth'. This year's theme has been chosen for various reasons which include trees help us breathe clean air and it helps in combating climate change. By planting the right trees, we can help counteract the loss of species, as well as provide increased habitat connectivity between regional forest patches and also help communities and their Livelihoods. Trees help communities achieve long-term economic and environmental sustainability and provide food, energy and income.

Earth Day had reached into its current status as the largest secular observance in the world, celebrated by more than a billion people every year, and a day of action that changes human behaviour and provokes policy changes. Today, the fight for a clean environment continues with increasing urgency, as the ravages of climate change become more manifest every day.

This day is observed in many countries and its time that we also stand united and celebrate days like earth day. No one else would come to help us to fight and mitigate climate change. We have seen the impacts of climate change in our state too. It's time that individuals or organisation along with governments or business houses and all other concerned individuals or organisation to act against climate change.

As the theme of this year is related to tree, let us all pledge that each and every one of us plant at least one tree and make sure that it grows. Planting is easy but making sure that all saplings are alive and grow big is the challenge.

States government have State Action Plan for Climate Change ( SAPCC) and as an individual or representatives of some organisation we may go through them and see what action we can contribute for combating climate change.

Once we are aware of the plans of the governments, it is easy for us to design our strategy to combat climate change.

In 2020 earth day movement would be celebrating 50 years by then let us also start counting how many tress we plant and contribute towards greening the planet. Let's not forget that we have no other planet to live, so we must take part in saving the planet for us and for our future generations.