Going Green for Earth Day
For generations humans have been treating the Earth as if there is another one to go, and slowly humans are realising that we only have one Earth. Earth Day is held every year on April 22, this annual event is celebrated across the world to show support for environmental protection.
Earth Day’s roots goes back almost 50 years ago after a devastating oil spill prompted a group of peace activists to raise environmental awareness. At a UNESCO conference in San Francisco in 1969, peace activist John McConnell proposed that a day should be set aside to honour the Earth and the environment. The first Earth day was celebrated on 22 April 1970 in America and now it is celebrated in 192 countries across the world by around one billion people.
Just in case you’re scratching your head wondering what to do this Earth Day, we’ve rounded up a couple of our favourite eco-activities that will help remind you why you love living on this planet so much.
Become one with nature at the oldest surviving botanic garden on the African continent and Durban’s oldest public institution. The Durban Botanical Gardens boasts the rarest cycad (broodboom) collection in the world. This plant’s cunning nickname, “living fossil,” suits it perfectly as cycads have survived three mass extinction events, although they are in danger of extinction today. Of South Africa’s 38 cycad species, three are extinct in the wild, 12 are critically endangered, four are endangered, nine are vulnerable and seven are near threatened.
Give back to the earth by planting a tree- It might sound like a bit of a cliché, but planting trees is by far one of the most important gifts we can give back to the planet and to ourselves. Trees create an ecosystem to provide habitat and food for birds and other animals. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and potentially harmful gasses, such as sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, from the air and release oxygen. According to NC State University one large tree can supply a day’s supply of oxygen for four people.
We hope you will join millions of people across the globe on April 22nd to do at least one thing that will make our planet a better place to live. Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children – Kenyan proverb
Source:
The Sun
In habitat