It is easy to get discouraged by the state of the planet.
Humanity is breaking all the wrong records on global warming. Fragile ecosystems face enormous pressure. More than 1 million plants, animals and other living things are at risk of being wiped out. Dirty air and chemical pollution threaten our land, ocean and health.
But International Mother Earth Day, on 22 April, is a reminder that there is a lot we can do, as individuals, to tackle the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste.
“Every action, however big or small, matters to the planet,” said Bruno Pozzi, Deputy Director of the Ecosystems Division of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). “The climate emergency, loss of nature and deadly pollution are not inevitable. We can reverse Earth’s decline but it needs us to come together and for everyone to play their part.”
UNEP has developed toolkits for taking environmental action on a range of issues. Here is a guide to five of them:
1. Revive the ecosystems that sustain us
Did you know that globally over 2 billion hectares of land are degraded? Or that the number and duration of droughts has risen by 29 per cent since 2000? Finding solutions to these global problems is crucial. That is why World Environment Day on 5 June is focusing on land restoration, desertification and drought resilience. The Ecosystem Restoration Playbook: A Practical Guide to Healing the Planet describes approaches to restoring eight important types of ecosystems – forests, farmlands, grassland and savannahs, rivers and lakes, oceans and coasts, towns and cities, peatlands, and mountains. By taking these recommended actions, you can become part of a #GenerationRestoration!
2. Make some noise about climate change
The world is in the grip of a climate emergency, a “code red for humanity,” according to the UN Secretary-General. Unless greenhouse gas emissions fall dramatically, warming could pass 2.9°C this century. UNEP’s Act Now: Speak Up campaign shows how citizens can compel governments and businesses to deliver the kind of systemic change needed to limit planetary warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
3. Conquer the global mountain of plastic
Plastic is everywhere you look. It is in our clothing, household appliances, children’s toys, food packaging, medical devices…the list goes on. While plastic has many uses, our addiction to single-use plastic is disastrous for the planet. It can take thousands, if not tens of thousands, of years to degrade. Yet we continue to produce and consume 430 million tonnes of plastic a year, two-thirds of it quickly ends up as waste dumped in landfills and polluting lakes, rivers, the soil and the ocean.
Recognizing plastic’s impact on climate change, ecosystems, wildlife and the economy, UN Member States agreed on a resolution to create a legally binding instrument by 2024 to end plastic pollution. Ahead of fourth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) meeting on the global agreement, UNEP’s Gameplan: It’s time to beat plastic pollution toolkit sets out what individuals can do to help end this environmental scourge. This includes cutting down on unnecessary plastic, choosing to reuse instead of buying new products, supporting brands that are redesigning-out plastic and trying to minimize single-use plastics, and asking governments to adopt circular economy policies and strengthen waste management systems.
4. Banish dirty air from the skies
More than 99 per cent of the global population breathes unsafe air. Air pollution is the biggest environmental health risk of our time, causing an estimated 7 million premature deaths every year. Exposure to dirty air can also cause heart and lung diseases, lung cancer and strokes among other ailments. Air pollutants also harm our natural environment, reducing the oxygen supply in our oceans, making it harder for plants to grow and contributing to the climate crisis. The International Day of Clean air for blue skies on 7 September aims to spread awareness of the problem, while UNEP’s interactive and guide details the steps you can take to promote cleaner air.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
5. Get tree planting right
Trees are amazing. They capture carbon from the atmosphere, protect and fertilize soils, provide a source of firewood and timber, and shelter many animals, birds and insects. No wonder tree planting, to restore ecosystems and counter climate change, has become so popular. But it is not as simple as it sounds. For example, planting the wrong trees in the wrong places can harm biodiversity and lead to all sorts of unintended consequences. UNEP’s Tree planting and ecosystem restoration: a crash course sets out five basic rules for getting it right.
International Mother Earth Day is celebrated around the world on 22 April. This is the third Mother Earth Day celebrated within the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
