PURSUANT to Presidential Proclamation 1481, s. 2008, April 22 of every year is regarded as the Philippines’ Earth Day. With this year's theme "Youth: Invest in our Future," the Earth Day Online Celebration seeks to rally all efforts towards protecting Mother Earth and investing in sustainable practices to secure a "green future."
Earthday.org encourages all to act together now and to change it all — "the business climate, the political climate, and how we take action on climate. Now is the time for the unstoppable courage to preserve and protect our health, our families, our livelihoods... together, we must Invest In Our Planet. We need to act (boldly), innovate (broadly), and implement (equitably). It’s going to take all of us. All in. Businesses, governments, and citizens — everyone accounted for, and everyone accountable. A partnership for the planet."
Big or small; alone or in groups; definitely there is something that each of us can do for Mother Earth. But here are some ways on how we can dot it from earthday.org's 52 ways to invest in our planet:
1. Use the internet, not trees. Meaning, if we can do it digitally or paperless, then that's the way to go.
2. Advocate for climate education. Climate change remains one of the biggest environmental concerns that we need to address and making sure that we avoid practices that contribute to climate change like planting trees will make a big difference.
3. Switch to reusable bags. As much as possible, avoid using plastic bags and materials.
4. Turn off lights when not in use. And if you can, use solar panels to charge and use this energy during the night for your electricity needs.
5. Push for plant-based options. You can adopt a sustainable lifestyle by planting fruits and trees in your garden or backyard.
6. Organize a community clean-up. It may be an office clean-up or an entire barangay or community project like "Tapat Ko Linis Ko" or simply making sure that your office area or spot is clean and organized.
Let's not wait for April 22 every year. Instead, let's make every day Earth Day. For more information, visit their website http://www.earthday.org.