Latest news with #EarthActionDay
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
STATEMENT FROM KATHLEEN ROGERS, PRESIDENT, EARTHDAY.ORG, ON THE PASSING OF POPE FRANCIS
ROME, April 21, 2025 /CNW/ -- "On behalf of the more than 1 billion people who engage in Earth Day on its 55th anniversary, we express our deepest condolences for the passing of Pope Francis. "He was without a doubt the world's most earnest and influential voice in protecting our planet. For more than ten years, Pope Francis has taken countless actions to bring to life the "cultural, spiritual, and educational" dimensions of the climate challenge. "With deep emotion and sorrow, we received from the Vatican greetings from Pope Francis and a letter of support for Earth Action Day that echoes the spirit of his pontificate and the urgency of his message. On the 10th anniversary of Laudato sì, this gesture moves us profoundly, reminding us of the moral call to care for our common home. We are sincerely and humbly grateful for this blessing, which inspires us to carry forward his vision with renewed commitment and hope." KATHLEEN ROGERS, Vatican City, April 19, 2025 Excellencies, Authorities, Dear Guests, I am pleased to bring the greetings of the Holy Father Francis to this event: "Earth Action Day: Strategies and Policies for a Sustainable Future", which challenges us on our actions towards our common home, to whose care the Pope has dedicated the Encyclical Letter Laudato si', of which, in this Holy Year, we celebrate the tenth anniversary of its publication. On today's occasion, which calls us to implement strategies and policies for a sustainable future, it seems appropriate to me to return to an extremely timely passage from the Encyclical: «While humanity in the post-industrial period will perhaps be remembered as one of the most irresponsible in history, it is to be hoped that humanity at the beginning of the twenty-first century will be remembered for having generously assumed its grave responsibilities» (n. 165). This is a great challenge that is not only technical-scientific and political-economic, but also, and above all «cultural, spiritual and educational» (n. 202). We are now deeply aware that the environmental crisis, with its serious impacts especially for the most vulnerable populations, is closely connected to the ethical and social crisis that we are experiencing and that must lead us to adopt a new vision anchored to that concept of integral ecology so well outlined in Laudato si'. Starting from the principle that "everything is connected and interdependent", it requires a real "change of direction": moving from a throwaway culture, which permeates our society, to a culture of care: care of oneself, care of others (near or far away in space and time), care of the environment. For believers, «living the vocation of being custodians of God's work is an essential part of a virtuous existence; it does not constitute something optional or even a secondary aspect of the 'Christian experience'» (n. 217). From this perspective, the ethical-socio-environmental crisis represents not only a serious concern, but also an opportunity, a privileged moment of stimulus to a more authentic life and to an individual and community "ecological conversion". In sharing these reflections, I am grateful to extend to all the participants of the day a cordial greeting and best wishes for good work. Cardinal Pietro ParolinSecretary of State Italian Translation HERE About Founded in 1970 by the organizers of the first Earth Day, has grown into the world's largest environmental movement, mobilizing over one billion people annually to protect the planet and its people. Our mission is to diversify, educate, and activate the environmental community globally. This year Earth Day marks its 55th anniversary and has designated this year's Earth Day theme as Our Power, Our Planet. Learn more at For media inquiries, interviews, comment - please feel free to contact: Terran Fielder, fielder@ Tel: +1 661 444 4436, (Washington DC) Patrizia Mari, patrizia@ Tel: +971544427394 / +393480094414 (Media Contact in Rome) View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE View original content to download multimedia:
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Earth Action Day: Unleashing our power for our planet
Soon, April 22 will mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. The power of those 20 million voices that came out on the streets that first Earth Day led the United States to create the Environmental Protection Agency and the first generation of environmental laws addressing clean air, clean water and toxics. Fast forward to today. Under the banner of, 'Our Power. Our Planet', the global organizer of Earth Day, is calling on people from all walks of life to join in 'Earth Action Day' — an effort to once again mobilize people power to tackle the current generation of environmental crises. Last year was a disaster for the planet and its people. According to NASA, it was the warmest year since temperatures began being recorded in 1880. In the U.S. alone there were 27 climate and weather events resulting in at least a billion dollars of damages — second only to 2023 with 28 such events. While a number of factors have contributed to the increase in these catastrophic events, research demonstrates that 'human-caused climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of certain types of extreme weather that lead to billion-dollar disasters — most notably the rise in vulnerability to drought, lengthening wildfire seasons in the Western states, and the potential for extremely heavy rainfall becoming more common in the eastern states.' The news about plastic pollution is similarly dark. Earth Action reported that on last September 5 – Plastic Overshoot Day – the amount of plastic waste exceeded the capacity of waste systems to manage. An estimated 220 million tonnes of plastic waste were expected to be produced in 2024 with 66 percent of the population living in places where the amount of waste exceeds local capacity. While negotiation of a strong global treaty on plastics in Korea and INC 5 held forth the promise of handling some of these issues, negotiators failed to reach agreement and the talks drone on. All of this is taking place in the face of increasing scientific news about the harmful impacts of plastics on humans and their health. World Wildlife Federation reported that humans could be ingesting up to 5 grams of plastic each week and a recent report found that high levels of plastics have been found in human brains. Additional research has shown that plastics are associated with everything from cancer to endocrine disruption, which can impair reproduction, growth and cognitive abilities. Wildlife too is suffering, with plastic ingestion and entanglement contributing to starvation and strangulation, among other issues. For years we have been told by the plastics industry we can clean up and recycle our way out of this problem – continued use of plastics, however, means continued use of fossil fuels and recycling has been demonstrated to be in large part a myth due to factors including quality degradation, contamination and non-recyclable content. What is the common thread of all these challenges facing our planet and the survival of its people – the cause of all of these threats can be traced to one source – humanity. The encouraging and hopefully inspiring news is that the solutions to these problems also rest in the hands of the people. We have the collective power not only to protect our planet but also to improve lives and livelihoods. The link between greenhouse gas emissions and climate change is now scientifically indisputable. According to the United Nations, fossil fuels make up 75% of greenhouse gas emissions and 90% of carbon dioxide emissions. The good news from the International Renewable Energy Agency is that 90% of global electricity can and should come from renewable sources by 2050. Slowing the climate crisis is only one of many reasons to switch to renewables. Renewable energy prices are falling and in most places of the world today, it is the least expensive option. Other benefits range from preventing unhealthy air associated with the burning of fossil fuels to creating up to 30 million jobs to supporting energy security. Whether you choose to power your home or vehicle with renewable energy, support community solar, or call on government leaders for more research and investment, the options for taking action to accelerate the transition to renewables are many. Similarly, as consumers we can choose plastic free products, demand a reduction and transition in the use of plastics from business while at the same time pressuring government leaders to reduce production globally, end the use of toxic ingredients, and improve waste management systems. So this Earth Action Day exercise your power! We need to demonstrate to our leaders in government and business that we are still here, we are a witness to their actions and we will hold them accountable to do right by our planet and its people. Susan Bass is Senior Vice President of the world's largest recruiter to the environmental movement with thousands of partners in 192 countries. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Between climate, plastics, energy, we need Earth Action Day | Opinion
