Today is Earth Day!
Yesterday evening, a hazy scene from the wonderful Brookwood Country Park, Woking in Surrey. Very natural, and almost surreal in places. Calming and cleansing for the soul …
Pictures courtesy of my sister, Susanne
Today, I’m at home, and it is Earth Day.
Earth Day! Now in it’s 50th year, Earth Day is a global day, set aside to encourages us to think about the health of our planet and take action to make and support positive change.
The first Earth Day was held in the USA in 1970, spearheaded by Senator Gaylord Nelson and Congressman Pete McCloskey. Millions of Americans demanded action to protect the environment, resulting in landmark environmental laws being passed in the United States, including the Clean Air, Clear Water and Endangered Species Acts. In time, other countries followed suit with similar laws. The 2016 United Nations Paris climate agreement was signed on Earth Day.
I looked on the internet for ideas of what I could do to commemorate the day - solo, during the UK anti-Covid-19 lockdown. Many events have been cancelled.
Then I had an a-hah! moment. Why not do some work that really needed to be doing locally, such as PLANT SOME FRUITING TREES AND SHRUBS!
I contribute to a project that is creating a creating a SUSTAINABLE community orchard and permaculture garden. The project has stalled due to the Covid-19 restrictions. Some trees have been planted but ALL of the fruiting shrubs and bushes either remain in their delivery packaging or have been temporarily ‘heeled in’, not in their final growing positions. Not brilliant.
To mark Earth day, I’ve decided to do two things:
1. Plant at least 20 shrubs a day for the next 5 days, and resume clearing litter from the site - solo, starting tomorrow.
When restrictions are lifted the project team will be able to continue the job. I will just have kept the momentum going during the UK’s extended anti-Covid-19 lockdown, and more importantly, prevented some of the root-wrapped shrubs from struggling for nutrients and dying. The daytime weather is quite sunny, warm and dry at the moment.
2. Sign petitions to the UK government on selected environmental matters that I think will make a difference. I’ve just finished doing that.
The UK Parliament website hosts a brilliant page on which citizens can put forward and sign petitions. Petitions that get 10,000 or more signatures will receive a response from the government. The petitions I signed include:
Run a nationwide campaign to reduce roadside litter.
Support British Food Producers by ensuring that marks of origin remain.
Run a public awareness campaign about the climate and ecological emergency.
Include gardening on the National Curriculum.
Publish new carbon budgets linked to the Paris Agreement and Climate Change Act.
Legal rights for ancient trees.
