HONORING THE EARTH
(A Day for the Earth Day)
By Stanley O. Worgu As April 22, 2000 comes and goes, one most important historical development in human history will continue to lurk our mind. This is the anniversary of the Earth day, a day that has come to symbolize our communion and affiliation to the mother earth. As the world marks this most profound event, we once more recall the activism and commitment of American Senator Gaylord Nelson, the founder of Earth day. The event of the centuries up till the middle part of the 20th century was a period of sober reflections for this environmentalist of our time. The human specie went about its business less concerned of the threat and contraption to which we have all subscribed to going by the manner in which development and economic prosperity became the deity and the revered. While, our precious environment became the outcast, whose blood must be spilled as a sacrifice on the altar of economic growth. In the face of this entire event, the now vibrant press was even indifferent, thou it radically changed its position in the middle part of the 70's. Well, this wasn't really amazing as the whole unfortunate scene less bothered even the entirety of the human kind. It was evident that what the human specie has laid for its self was a time bomb whose explosion no body could predict. It was something of a rat race, both the capitalist and the socialist engines of production made for the baton, and the ultimate aim was not the means but the end. Invariable to some the race paid off, new economic prosperity blossomed, GDP multiplied over night, while to others, they answered the inevitable call that not all must be successful. The balance sheet of the whole dramatic event was environmental devastation.

The human specie created naturally more smart than other species saw the end of the game as the extensive exploitation of critical natural capital and ecosystem and its subsequent conversion to the less durable and very unreliable material capital. The negative impact of all these manifested in the extinction of some species, pollution, over dependence on exhaustible minerals, over population, massive human poverty and disease. It was the collection of all this thought that moved Senator Gaylord to found the Earth day on April 22, 1970. This is after several initiatives to increase environmental awareness failed woefully in the United States. The success of this initiative must have also been spurred by the action of other conscious environmental activists in the United States following the publication of several best sellers in the 70's. Some of which is the "Silent Spring" by R. Carlson "Limits to Growth" by Meadows and "The Tragedy of the Commons" by Garret Harden and the famous United Nations Conference on the Human Environment held in Stockholm in 1972. At the first instance in 1970, over 20 million American's participated in the celebrations in most US cities.

While we increasingly battle the effects of environmental degradation and the need to save the earth in the face of mounting failure, the zeal to stick to cheap energy source has subsumed our effort in the right direction. We have entered a new era where the nature of the entire planet has being fundamentally changed. Humankind is facing epidemics, massive holes in the ozone layer and the change in global climate. In that context, it is necessary to have an informed citizenry, which would take a leadership role in pulling the political and economic forces in the right direction. It is time for a formidable shift, both at high and low levels. There should be a focus, a new resolution that address the fundamental question of our present use of unsustainable fossil fuel, nuclear plants in energy generation at the expense of our earth and our climate. We should refocus our effort on how to develop new sustainable means of energy such as wind power, solar and geothermal energy. A look at the vast array of energy problems that are facing the world contemporary shows that most of them have to do with environmental constraints, and as we look at the environmental problems around the world, virtually all of them have to do with energy considerations.

No doubt the earth day celebration has quickly spread like wild fire all over the earth. Programs are planned for this year commemoration in the entire continent of the world. We should use this moment to evaluate once more our life styles and ask our selves some fundamental questions. Do we live sustainable? Are we doing our part to save the earth from environmental degradation and catastrophe? What is our contribution to the conservation of critical ecosystem and bio diversity? How can we ensure that we live the earth as good as our ancestors left it? How can we ensure that we live within the earth's carrying capacity? If we must avoid a ritualistic conception of the Earth day or other slogans and actions associated with sustainable living, then we must find time to meditate over these fundamental questions or similar ones.

Preserving our earth, its bio diversity and critical ecosystem entails the individual and collective action of every person. We should be courageous enough to do our best. Most wonderful ideas to day trace its origin from an individual effort. We can embark on many individual initiatives today to save the planet earth. We can organize an environmental education session for minors, we can decide to live sustainable through buying products that comply with environmental standards. We can support the rights of indigenous people to preserve their culture as we still have a lot to learn from a system that managed complex ecosystems in simple manner. We can also call for the boycott of products that do not comply with ecological standards, we can organize peaceful protest against multinational firms that do not comply with environmental justice in their areas of operation. We can also show support for most international environmental and human rights legislation that promotes the dignity of man and the ecosystem.

APSRS DOES NOT NECESSARILY AGREE WITH THE AUTHOR. OUR INTEREST IS TO DOCUMENT WHAT'S OUT THERE.
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