by Richard Nash

Introduction

Today, 22 April, is Earth Day. An annual event celebrating the environmental movement and the importance of protecting our planet.

Since its inception 54 years ago, Earth Day has been established as a significant movement intended to raise awareness of the most pressing environmental issues of the day and drive support for more sustainable ways of living.

From marches and protests to beach clean-ups and recycling drives, it is a day for people globally to get involved in being ‘green’.

Where did it all begin?

On this date in 1970, over 20 million people across America took to the streets to demand social and political action, successfully driving and raising support for vital pieces of legislation such as the updated ‘Clean Air Act’ (1970), and the Endangered Species Act (1973).

In 1990, the movement went global, with more than 200 million people estimated to have taken part, and now that number is thought to be more than 1 billion, continuing to drive the environmental cause around the world.

What are the goals of the movement? 

Earth Day and its supporting network of partners pursue a set of core goals:

• Broadening the meaning of environment to include issues such as climate change, environmentally considerate curricula, and renewable energy.
• Diversifying the movement by providing universally accessible engagement opportunities, creating a platform for the most vulnerable, and often worst affected, people to highlight the impact climate change has on them.
• Mobilising communities by working with other organisations, providing opportunities for all to actively engage in sustainable initiatives.

Why is this important?

Well, where to begin. There is now an extraordinarily long list of unequivocal evidence that climate change is a) happening, b) the rate at which it is happening is increasing, and c) that human activities have been an irrefutable cause. Much of this evidence is well documented and will not be news to most of us.

We have all heard how the ice caps are melting faster than ever before (Ice Cap Melting Facts (theworldcounts.com), flooding in the UK is becoming more widespread and damaging each year (UK and Global extreme events – Heavy rainfall and floods – Met Office), and that warming oceans continues to accelerate and worsen the effects of coral bleaching (Coral bleaching: Fourth global mass stress episode underway – US scientists – BBC News). The list goes on and it does not make for happy reading.

On a lighter note…

Each year, Earth Day creates an opportunity for us all to recognise these challenges, and shed light on the many ways in which we as individuals, companies, states and other bodies can have a positive impact on the world we live in. Earth Day has brought about the planting of hundreds of millions of trees, supported sustainable agriculture initiatives around the world, and is driving global climate literacy (What is Earth Day, when is it and what has it achieved? – BBC News).

This Year

 This year’s theme is Planet v Plastics. Plastics have become a ubiquitous part of the world we live in. They are cheap, light and durable, can be tailored to endless specific needs, their production is (relatively) energy un-intensive, they insulate our homes and pipe our water (The Benefits & Advantages of Plastic (bpf.co.uk)). However, needless to say the news is not all good when it comes to plastics.

There is now inescapable evidence that we are absorbing, eating, even breathing plastics every single day (The Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health – Annals of Global Health). This is directly responsible for wide-ranging and devastating health impacts, including cancers, lung diseases and birth defects. Plastics’ impact on the environment is exacerbated by the low rate of its recycling, and the extraordinary amount of it that is wasted and dumped into the environment each day. Research suggests 350 million metric tonnes of plastic waste is produced every year (Plastic waste worldwide – statistics & facts | Statista). As an organisation with a number of people very good with numbers, we can confirm that is a very big number indeed. In fact, by weight that is equivalent to approximately 3 billion standard hospital beds. Each Year. I think.

This year then, Earth Day is advocating for; increasing awareness of these associated health risks, rapidly phasing out all single use plastics, urgently pushing for a strong UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution, demanding an end to fast fashion, investing in technologies that can reduce plastic use, and demanding a 60% reduction in the production of plastics by 2040.

What’s Next

So, what should you, or I, or we as a whole do about it? Lots of what is written about these issues, global in nature and incomprehensible in scale, can seem intimidating and hopeless, but through consistent and collective action, individuals can make a difference.

1. Go out and lobby with a local organisation
   1. Sign pledges and pressure governments to bring institutional and global change to corporate behaviours and practices (No Plastic in Nature | World Wildlife Fund)
2. Reduce your single-use plastic consumption
   1. Opt for reusable alternatives personally
   2. Mandate for the phasing out of single-use plastics in your organisation or company policy
3. Shop second-hand
   1. Change consumption habits – rejecting fast fashion and transforming high-street production demands
4. Organise recycling and clean-up initiatives
   1. Encourage and facilitate employee volunteering, supporting initiatives in the areas your organisation or company operates

Is there lots that we can do?

It’s clear that there is lots we can all do (How you and your company can celebrate Earth Day 2024 | Blog Posts | WWF (worldwildlife.org) to bring about incremental change. The 4OC Sustainability Framework can help leaders get a grasp of where their organisation sits on the journey to sustainability; helping to identify gaps, opportunities, and obligations for an eco-friendly organisation. By identifying opportunities to be better, and beginning to put them into action, we can help bring about systemic change locally and globally, changing behaviours and fostering an environment which is healthier, happier and more sustainable, for all.