Posted on April 22 2020
Dear Humanity,
April 22d is Earth Day and every day should be Earth Day! It is the 50th anniversary of the Earth Day movement on sharing its vision for change and importance to consider reducing waste to save the planet, our home our Mother Earth.
Today, we have been given a unique and precious chance to breathe fresh air like we have never done before. After decades of abuse, during this pandemic and confinement we have given our planet the ability to exhale and revive, perhaps only for a few months, but showing a marked difference.
We have slowed down our enormous polluting production lines all around the world, and reduced traffic, yet we have only done this all - to protect our own health and wellness!
A true silver linings to come out of this pandemic is that decreased air pollution has immediate public health benefits, even if they are only temporary side effects of frozen economic activity.
FACT - Air pollution exposure can trigger new cases of asthma, exacerbate (worsen) a previously-existing respiratory illness, and provoke development or progression of chronic illnesses including lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and emphysema.
To stop pollution isn’t to stop all activity; it’s to find ways to live our lives that don’t harm the Earth.
Now is the time for all of us to stop taking for granted this precious gift, our planet and start cherishing and respecting it. Not just thinking about how we can save it but actually seeing this as a wake-up call and taking significant action. A shift and focus on cleantech and renewables technologies is needed.
Nature has given us the opportunity, perhaps a once in a lifetime opportunity to press the reset button and start again even though the reality is, that we cannot undo what has been done, we can at least do things better now. If we want Mother Earth to continue taking care of us, we need to start taking care of her.
Sincerely,
Six and Sons
Link to ESA maps – observing drops in pollution during COVID-19 lockdown.