EARTH DAY 2019

NASA Earth Observatory image by Robert Simmon

This Monday, April 22, marks Earth Day’s 49th birthday. The annual holiday has come a long way since its inception in 1970. According to the Earth Day Network that first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, activated 20 million Americans from all walks of life and is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement. Paving the way for many groundbreaking environmental laws soon followed such as the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act.

Twenty years later, Earth Day is like a name global celebration, mobilizing 200 million people in more than 190 countries and lifting environmental issues onto the world stage. Communities big and small have stretched the celebration into seven days’ worth of eco-focused activities such as river clean ups and tree plantings.

“For millions of people," said Kathleen Rogers, President of Earth Day Network on their website, "Cleanups foster a sense of practical pride in their local environment while serving as an entry point and a springboard for many people—young and old—to become environmentally engaged and delve deeper into what is happening to our world, its nature, and its environment,”

Earlier this month, Rogers was excited to help kick off India’s River Ganges Initiative 2019, a landmark citizen-led cleanup of the iconic river. The River Ganges is being launched by the Earth Day Network as part of worldwide effort to mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.

According to a 2014 article in the Syndey Morning Herald, experts estimate that more than 3000 million liters of untreated sewage from these towns along the Ganges is pumped into the river every day. By the time it reaches Varanasi, whose untreated sewage (or most of it) is also pumped into the waters, it becomes a sewer and the sixth most polluted river in the world.

Photo courtesy of New Delhices

The initiative, which got underway last week ago as part of Earth Day 2019, will begin on Vaisakhi—the Hindu New Year for many in India —high in the Himalayan mountains at Devaprayag where two glacier-fed streams meet to form India’s most famous and sacred river. The first phase will evolve over the next 15 months to encompass 100 cities and towns close to the Ganges—known as the Ganga in India– as it meanders to the famous Sunderbans Delta.

“The project on the Ganges will serve as a lightning rod for many more countries and communities to get involved worldwide," Roger said, "As we transition into Earth Day 2020, we will mark the anniversary with a myriad of events including what we are calling the Great Global Cleanup—so watch this space”.

Closer to home. American Rivers a national advocacy group dedicated to the preservation of rivers released their 2019 report of America’s Most Endangered Rivers. It spotlighted how climate change is impacting our rivers and water resources. New Mexico’s drought ravished Gila River, named the #1 Most Endangered River in the country.

American River President and CEO Bob Irvin hopes this report will raise awareness of how our nation's rivers are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, pollution, and other threats.

“Climate change is striking rivers and water supplies first and hardest,” said  Irvin, in a statement. “America’s Most Endangered Rivers is a call to action. We must speak up and take action because climate change will profoundly impact every river and community in our country."

For the whole list click here: AmericanRivers.org/EndangeredRivers2019

Happy Earth Day 2019

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