Sweden pledges extra $19m in Loss and Damage Fund
Sweden pledges additional $19 million to the Loss and Damage Fund at the 29th United ...
Join 24 hours of action, Earth Challenge 2020 app on Earth Day
The Earth Day Network and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) set out a call to join the 24 hours of action and Earth Challenge 2020 application on Earth Day which falls on April 22.
On the 50th anniversary of the Earth Day, the world is battling the pandemic of the coronavirus.This could be a catalyst for people worldwide to take action against climate change – which is the main theme of Earth Day 2020.
The pandemic is a stark reminder of the vulnerability of humans and the planet in the face of global scale threats.
Earth day 2020 is not just the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, but also the anniversary of the signing of the Paris Agreement to take climate action.
By the end of 2020, global CO2 emissions need to have dropped by 7.6% and continue to fall by 7.6% each year in order to get global heating under 1.5oC, according to the United Nations Environment Program’s (UNEP) Emission Gap Report 2019.
UN chief says Mother Earth urging call to action:
United Nations Secretary General said “We must act decisively to protect our planet from both the coronavirus and the existential threat of climate disruption.”
“Mother Earth is clearly urging a call to action. Nature is suffering; Australian fires, heat records and the worst locust invasion in Kenya. Now we face COVID -19, a worldwide health pandemic link to the health of our ecosystem,” he added.
Climate change, man-made changes to nature as well as crimes that disrupt biodiversity, such as deforestation, land-use change, intensified agriculture and livestock production or the growing illegal wildlife trade, can increase contact and the transmission of infectious diseases from animals to humans (zoonotic diseases) like COVID-19.
From one new infection disease that emerges in humans every 4 months, 75% of these emerging diseases come from animals, according to UN Environment.
This shows the close relationships between human, animal and environmental health.
Visible, positive impact– whether through improved air quality or reduced greenhouse gas emissions – are but temporary, because they come on the back of tragic economic slowdown and human distress.
Earth Day goes digital:
Earth Day is an occasion planned to bring people physically together across a series of events, COVID-19 has now prompted a dramatic shift to completely digital and virtual platforms.
Earth Day 2020 calls for 24 hours of actions, big and small, for people and the planet.
On this 50th anniversary, civil society organizers hope to fill the world’s digital landscape with global conversations, positive acts, performances, webinars and events supporting urgent action on climate change.
As the world rushes to plan for a post-pandemic recovery, UNEP and other parts of the United Nations system see this as opportunity to call attention to the need to “build back better.” The risks faced by ignoring the threats of environmental destruction must be understood and addressed with protections and policies. April 22 is a timely reminder to embrace the opportunities of the natural world for green jobs, sustainable economic stimulus, for urgently taking action to protect ourselves against unsurvivable global heating and for securing healthy, dignified futures.
What can you do on Earth Day?
On April 22, people can join earthday.org livestreamed discussions, events and actions. People can explore the many virtual Earth Day events via this directory to online events across global time zones.
On April 22, people can join earthday.org for 24 hours of action in a global digital mobilization that drives actions big and small, gives diverse voices a platform and demands bold action for people and the planet.
There are new tools for volunteering and advocacy and opportunities to participate as citizen scientists–using the Earth Challenge 2020 app to measure data such as air quality and plastic pollution, right where you are.
There are challenges for daily action; graphics for sharing on social media; tips for making your own Earth Day window sign; and a place to tell others about your own personal “act of green.”
It is time to demonstrate solidarity, take action and send a clear message to world leaders to act on climate change, halt biodiversity and habitat loss, and make certain environmental protection is a fundamental foundation of building back better.
Looking ahead to the next 50 years, the UNEP will be sharing information on actions that can be taken to protect biodiversity, to contribute reforestation efforts of degraded landscapes and to commit to the overall sustainable management of natural resources.
Nature is in crisis, threatened by biodiversity and habitat loss, global heating and toxic pollution. Failure to act is failing humanity. Humanity depends on action now for a resilient and sustainable future.
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