"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead, American anthropologist, 1901-1978
The day coincides with the annual northern migration of Adelie penguins. There are various different species of penguin.
OxfordSparks have their Penguin Watch Team who will be answering a Q&A. Their researchers monitor penguin colonies across the Southern Ocean, working to disentangle the effects of various threats from things such as climate change and the krill fishing industry.
Earth Day is on every day and can be celebrated wherever you are – even in space! Flood the earth with hope, optimism and action!
In 2020, Earth Day is 50 years old. The theme is Climate Action. As its website says,
Climate change represents the biggest challenge to the future of humanity and the life-supportsystems which make our world habitable.
If we look at the start of 2020 alone, the Australian bushfires left terrible damage behind them. Organic Lesson wanted to give an idea of the severity of the crisis, by re-creating the smoke haze in scenic locations around the world and you can see what places like London, Singapore, Hong Kong, New York, Paris and the Alps would have looked like.
The Earth Day Network works around the world to drive meaningful action for our planet across the following issues
Climate Action
Science and Education
People and Communities
Conservation and Restoration
Plastic and Pollution
So whatever your interests are in earth, you should be able to find a way to get involved. And Earth Day's website has toolkits you can use to really get out there and change the world and make a difference.
Be a part of the largest volunteer project in history – the Great Global Cleanup
In the coming year, Earth Day Network is aiming to plant 7.8 billion trees — one tree for every person on earth — in honour of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day in 2020.
Animals Asia have had an urgent call about three bears in terrible trouble on a bile farm.
They were alerted 2 weeks ago – and they dropped everything, to get ready to rescue as fast as possible. But travel restrictions put in place because of the coronavirus meant it was not possible (or safe) to go ahead.
Travel restrictions have been lifted now. The team is ready to go and rescue the three bears. But Animals Asia need help to do it. These bears will have bellies to fill, there'll be essential medicines to buy and months of high costs, thanks to the coronavirus.
The bears were found trapped in tiny metal cages, side by side. There’s limited information about them but Animals Asia say they can be almost certain that they will have serious health issues and will need special, on-going care and treatment for the rest of their lives – which could be 15 years or more.
They are asking people to become monthly donors, to help set up these bears on the road to recovery and beyond.
Don't miss it! Although it's a repeat, the programme is very timely, given that these rather amazing animals are at the centre of the coronavirus storm.
100 years ago, Javan and Balinese tigers prowled the jungles of Indonesia. Over generation after generation of tiger, mother after mother taught cub after cub how to fit the islands they were born on. They became unique – each a subspecies in its own right.
But people slaughtered them. They were tracked, found, killed and skinned to enhance the prestige of the big-game hunter or fill the coffers of a wildlife trader. Both are now extinct. They’ve gone. And on the next island along – the same thing is happening again.
There are fewer than 400 Sumtran tigers left. That number is going down. They are critically endangered.
Despite the persistent efforts of conservation teams, there aren’t enough areas that are protected to stop poachers getting through and setting deadly snares.
The tigers have no idea about all of this. They don’t have a clue. They cannot avert the slaughter they see don’t coming.
We need to make a stand and learn from the mistakes we’ve made before. We cannot lose these tigers from Sumatra.
Fauna and Flora International are putting rangers in place. They are training and equipping them to remove the snares and keep poachers away. Then the beautiful Sumatra tigers can be safe in the wild again.
In short, donations will put more rangers into the field.
