“Mobilize the Earth” was the theme of the 42nd Earth Day that was marked all over the world Sunday. Every year on April 22 individuals and organizations join hands to make a pledge to protect our planet earth. Yet the condition of earth is getting worse and worse as a consequence of industrial, technological and economic advancement. Resources are depleting yet our needs are growing. We need cars, cell phones, air-conditioned housing. But we don't realize that these needs for a luxurious lifestyle will ultimately prove detrimental as earth will witness extreme weather conditions as a result of depleting ozone layer, large swathes of territories will disappear as ocean levels will rise. Water resources will get scare, food and fuel will be hard to come by. Rising pollution will result in epidemics. Last November, the United Nations predicted that there will be a rise in “wild weather” over the next century. A week later, the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned that the world is on the brink of irreversible climate change. According to its research, global warming will hit the point of no return in five years' time. Unfortunately these are no longer doomsday scenarios but today's realities. We are, in fact, committing ‘ecocide'. At the global level, green initiatives are lacking. The Kyoto protocol, which legally binds us to curb global carbon emissions, will expire this year. And this is the reason campaigners are calling for a new deal to be signed at the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit this June. In the backdrop of the Rio+20 summit, this year's Earth Day gains even more significance as the summit organizers said, “It is seen as a launch pad for global action on sustainability... it can revitalize the Rio+20 process, ensuring that the last months before the summit are not wasted.” Prospects for this earth initiative seem bright as over 120 heads of state have announced their participation. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated: “The world stands at a crossroads...we need everyone – government ministers and policymakers, business and civil society leaders, and young people – to work together to transform our economies, to place our societies on a more just and equitable footing, and to protect the resources and ecosystems on which our shared future depends.” Rio+20 offers us an opportunity to make the right turn and change our course towards a green and fair economy. Hope is not lost. We can still save our planet if we adopt three Rs: “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” Schools should inculcate among students the culture to recycle and reuse. Every individual has the power to make a global impact. Eat seasonal, local organic foods, choose natural personal care products, go for recycled products, learn to rationalize water and electricity use, prefer walking or cycling or take public transport. In short go green. __
