22 Apr Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day
On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans (10% of the population at the time) mobilized to create the first Earth Day, demanding a new way forward and launching the modern environmental movement. This led to the passage of landmark environmental laws, including the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts.
April 22, 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, a historical and international day of celebration, activism, education, and volunteerism on behalf of our planet’s health — and our own. In the midst of the global pandemic, to protect our communities during the current public health crisis, celebrations have gone digital.
Today more than ever, urgent and bold climate action to reduce atmospheric pollution is vital. Scientists tell us we must cut global greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 to avert the worst effects of Climate change. The positive news is that we have the tools to do so. HOWEVER, unprecedented levels of commitment, focus and “super-collaboration” are required for a successful transition and transformation.
Today, I would like to share three key resources to help organizations and communities address the biggest threats ahead.
1. CLIMATE CHANGE SOLUTIONS SIMULATOR https://www.climateinteractive.org/tools/en-roads/ Quantify and visualize the impact of selected pathways. Carbon pricing is a major lever.
2. PROJECT DRAWDOWN https://drawdown.org/solutions “Drawdown” is the point in the future when levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to steadily decline, thereby stopping catastrophic climate change.
https://drawdown.org/solutions/table-of-solutions We cannot reach Drawdown without simultaneously reducing emissions toward zero and supporting nature’s carbon sinks. https://drawdown.org/programs/drawdown-labs for collaboration across sectors, geographies and levels of agency at scale.
3. GREEN SWANS: The Coming Boom In Regenerative Capitalism by John Elkington
Even leading capitalists admit that capitalism is broken. Green Swans is a manifesto for system change designed to serve people, planet, and prosperity. In his twentieth book, John Elkington—dubbed the “Godfather of Sustainability”—explores new forms of capitalism fit for the twenty-first century.
This book is a must-read for business leaders in corporations great and small who want to help their businesses survive the coming shift in global priorities over the next decade and expand their horizons from responsibility, through resilience, and onto regeneration.
Happy 50th Earth Day Anniversary! TOGETHER, with bold and urgent climate action, it is still possible to meet the biggest challenge of our time!
For more information or dialogue, feel free to contact Marité Ball, Founder and President of Blue & Green Planet. Ltd at Marite@blueandgreenplanet.com