Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s natural environment. Earth Day was founded by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in first held on April 22, 1970. While this first Earth Day was focused on the United States, an organization launched by Denis Hayes, who was the original national coordinator in 1970, took it international in 1990 and organized events in 141 nations.
Earth Day, April 22nd 1970 marked the beginning of the modern environmental movement. Approximately 20 million Americans participated. Two thousand colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, Freeway and expressway revolts, the loss of wilderness, and air pollution suddenly realized they shared common values. Senator Nelson stated that Earth Day "worked" because of the response at the grassroots level.
It is now observed in 175 countries, and coordinated by the nonprofit Earth Day Network, according to whom Earth Day is now "the largest secular holiday in the world, celebrated by more than a half billion people every year." Environmental groups have sought to make Earth Day into a day of action which changes human behavior and provokes policy changes (for detail go to wikepedia.org)
Earth Day, Nagaland
A wise man I recently met quip, “We are now literally living in a garbage dump.” It’s true; you cannot site an area without seeing litter strewn around. We are so use to living in litter and dirt that we are conditioned to it. Does it matter to me if someone spits anywhere except the dustbin? Does it matter to me if someone throws waste anywhere except in their common room? No, because it’s not my business, right? Besides the government don’t pay me to be an Environment Police!! Hey, I cannot fight the majority, let me just join them! Here it goes, my sweet wrapper, off to the streets… How sad it is to live a life of individualism, not to think of a life beyond the self. Can I go beyond the “I, Me, and Myself” syndrome and do something for others, or for the community, for the society, for the earth, for our future, and the future of our children?
If we look deep within us human nature, there is in each one of us an indwelt nature that longs for something good, for purity and for a hope of a better tomorrow. Let us seek this quality in us, rediscover our potential to do good deeds and apply it while we are still capable of doing it. We can do it, if we are determined, if we have the desire. We can achieve a model clean society. Why not? God has given us the same sense, as he has given a Singaporean and Japanese! All we need is an attitude change, and move beyond the Self.
Earth Day 2011 is challenging you, every member of a conscious society to be involved in a drive to keep our environment clean and to protect it. Earth Day isn’t the only day when the world can and should celebrate the planet we all share. In fact it should be the way to live.
Earth Day Network and Resource Centre
For the first time in Nagaland Earth Day Network is going to work in collaboration with Resource Centre, Dimapur in an effort to sensitize the people of Nagaland about environmental issues. It has targeted some schools in Dimapur area who will be involved in a one month long project, from 1st to 20th April. During the period the selected schools will be contributing articles, poems, captions, slogans, drawings, putting up bulletin boards, planting trees etc. as a part of their activity. We are also very gracious to the media partners who have understood their role in creating public awareness through their papers. The students’ contributions will be highlighted in the major dailies for the same period. Certain programs will also be taken up with the Nagaland Pollution Control Board and various other organizations. The programme will culminate on 20th April. However, we hope that through this effort the citizens of Nagaland will take up personal responsibility to create a clean, safe environment even in days and years to come.
Now let me go pick up the sweet wrapper I threw and put it in the dustbin!
Earth Day, April 22nd 1970 marked the beginning of the modern environmental movement. Approximately 20 million Americans participated. Two thousand colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, Freeway and expressway revolts, the loss of wilderness, and air pollution suddenly realized they shared common values. Senator Nelson stated that Earth Day "worked" because of the response at the grassroots level.
It is now observed in 175 countries, and coordinated by the nonprofit Earth Day Network, according to whom Earth Day is now "the largest secular holiday in the world, celebrated by more than a half billion people every year." Environmental groups have sought to make Earth Day into a day of action which changes human behavior and provokes policy changes (for detail go to wikepedia.org)
Earth Day, Nagaland
A wise man I recently met quip, “We are now literally living in a garbage dump.” It’s true; you cannot site an area without seeing litter strewn around. We are so use to living in litter and dirt that we are conditioned to it. Does it matter to me if someone spits anywhere except the dustbin? Does it matter to me if someone throws waste anywhere except in their common room? No, because it’s not my business, right? Besides the government don’t pay me to be an Environment Police!! Hey, I cannot fight the majority, let me just join them! Here it goes, my sweet wrapper, off to the streets… How sad it is to live a life of individualism, not to think of a life beyond the self. Can I go beyond the “I, Me, and Myself” syndrome and do something for others, or for the community, for the society, for the earth, for our future, and the future of our children?
If we look deep within us human nature, there is in each one of us an indwelt nature that longs for something good, for purity and for a hope of a better tomorrow. Let us seek this quality in us, rediscover our potential to do good deeds and apply it while we are still capable of doing it. We can do it, if we are determined, if we have the desire. We can achieve a model clean society. Why not? God has given us the same sense, as he has given a Singaporean and Japanese! All we need is an attitude change, and move beyond the Self.
Earth Day 2011 is challenging you, every member of a conscious society to be involved in a drive to keep our environment clean and to protect it. Earth Day isn’t the only day when the world can and should celebrate the planet we all share. In fact it should be the way to live.
Earth Day Network and Resource Centre
For the first time in Nagaland Earth Day Network is going to work in collaboration with Resource Centre, Dimapur in an effort to sensitize the people of Nagaland about environmental issues. It has targeted some schools in Dimapur area who will be involved in a one month long project, from 1st to 20th April. During the period the selected schools will be contributing articles, poems, captions, slogans, drawings, putting up bulletin boards, planting trees etc. as a part of their activity. We are also very gracious to the media partners who have understood their role in creating public awareness through their papers. The students’ contributions will be highlighted in the major dailies for the same period. Certain programs will also be taken up with the Nagaland Pollution Control Board and various other organizations. The programme will culminate on 20th April. However, we hope that through this effort the citizens of Nagaland will take up personal responsibility to create a clean, safe environment even in days and years to come.
Now let me go pick up the sweet wrapper I threw and put it in the dustbin!
Moasenla Aier
Program Coordinator, Resource Centre
Dimapur
(This is part of a series of Earth Day article by Resource Centre)
