Happy Earth Day! & Why You REALLY Need To Start Caring About Earth 🌎

Happy Earth Day! It actually took me a while to think about what to write for this post (almost four months since the last one - talk about writer's block), and that's not because there's not enough to talk about. There's definitely a lot to write about, and I think it's depressing we need a day to celebrate the Earth when there could be the possibility of honoring the Earth everyday through sustainable practices.

Nonetheless, I appreciate that many take this day to pledge themselves to protect Earth in their own ways! Instead of restating the classic tips, such as the five R's or these amazing ways to make a difference stated on earthday.org's website, I thought I could provide some facts for why people say that Earth Day should be everyday.

Before moving into the facts, I'd also like to add that the theme for Earth Day 2022 is "Invest in Our Planet." As earthday.org says, "It's the only home we have. We need everyone, while there is still time." So to those who are still hesitant with this topic: I hope this serves as a reminder that our species and Earth are in danger, and it's not just something that scientists are saying.

1) "Since the start of agriculture 11,000 years ago, Earth has lost an estimated 50% of its terrestrial plants and roughly 20% of its animal biodiversity, the authors said, citing two studies, one from 2018 and the other from 2019." (LiveScience - view the full article here)

If it's not obvious by now, plants allow us to breathe the air we need. But what about biodiversity, why is it so important to have thriving species on our planet? Firstly, the Earth would not exist without biodiversity! The Earth's cycles, its delicate food chains and food webs that balance our ecosystems, are all due to biodiversity and the various organisms that thrive on our planet. Without animals, there would not be plants. If you haven't made the connection yet, limited biodiversity = collapse of ecosystems = end of humans.

2) "The last 7 years have been the warmest on record" (earthday.org - view the full article here)

Temperatures are rising dramatically. You've probably seen something along the lines of fossil fuels emit greenhouse gases that trap heat in our atmosphere, but maybe disregarded the fact or assumed it's been going on for decades. While this is true, our temperatures are far beyond what we've seen in the past. A little heat is enough of a warning for us to go inside on sunny days, but we have to realize that these temperatures will keep rising until we actually do something.

3) "Based on current emissions, the world is likely to hit between 2.7C and 3.1C of warming by 2100." (Wired - view the full article here)

If these numbers aren't shocking to you, consider the next few points made by this article. "If warming is limited to 1.5C then over the next 2,000 years global mean sea level will rise to between two and three metres above current levels. If warming is limited to 2C this rises to between two and six metres above current levels." Just considering the human perspective, this would cause more flooding and subsidence, making it harder to live.

4) "Given the speed of climate change, it’s becoming impossible for many species to adapt quickly enough to keep up with their changing environment." (WWF - view the full article here)

Looking through this article, I was actually shocked that some of these myths are statements people still believe, especially this one: "Animals will adapt to climate change." The quote is pretty self explanatory - the rates of climate change make this extremely difficult, but also we are already endangering the species of the planet through our own practices. Unsustainable farming/forest techniques, urbanization, and other industrial practices many may not associate with species decline actually contribute to their downfall. With climate change added on to these stressors, it's no wonder that many species are going extinct.

5) "In 2013, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that: “It is extremely likely (>95 % certainty) that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century.” (Center for Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan - view the full article here)

This last quote sums up the last four quotes in that, humans are the cause of these levels of warming and climate change we are seeing. Yes, there are background levels of our temperatures and our extinction rates increasing, but these levels are in much greater levels than background levels.

I hope you enjoyed reading this article, or if not at least learned a bit about why you should really start caring about our Earth. Until next time, Happy Earth Day!

- The Bookish Elephant

Meet The Author

Hi there! I'm TheBookishElephant- a writer, reader, and a HUGE fan of all things animal! This blog is an inspiration of the animals I have seen growing up, and animals I hope to see as I continue on in my life! Animal Awareness is one of the things that can get out the word and help create change. Want to support my mission? Go ahead and click the follow button! Followers really inspire me to push the blog more and hopefully get word out the whole world! Well, what are you waiting for? There's fun awaiting!

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