Earth Day: Invest in Our Planet. Why Being People Focused Means You Should Be Environmentally Focused
By Lindsay Bissett
“We should change the narrative from one of fear and despair. Despite the bad (climate) news, people are still very optimistic. Optimism in this case is essential because hope beats fear every time.” – Hilary Tam, Strategy Director of Futerra
What is Earth Day?
Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by EarthDay.org including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries. The official theme for 2022 is Invest In Our Planet. - Earth Day - Wikipedia
Why should we care? (Trigger Warning- Natural Disasters)
Do you know someone who was impacted by a natural disaster in the last 12 months? In the Fraser Valley of British Columbia, many people lost their homes due to shocking, fast-moving floods caused by an “atmospheric river.” These floods came not long after the town of Lytton BC nearly burned down entirely. We likely all know someone who has been impacted by a natural disaster recently, and in BC have a summertime tradition of bracing ourselves while waiting to see how harsh the Okanagan forest fires will be. This is an example of how Climate Change impacts people directly. Right in our backyard.
If we look globally, Earth.Org shares how marginalized groups are disproportionately affected by climate change. The Narwhal (best name for an online publication ever!), also describes how climate change is driving Indigenous food insecurity in Canada.
“Longer and more intense forest fire seasons, permafrost degradation, volatile weather patterns and increased levels of precipitation are all affecting wildlife habitat and, in turn, harvesting efforts.”
“Indigenous Peoples in Canada are among the lowest contributors to greenhouse emissions in the country, yet research shows they are among the most exposed to climate change impacts.”
There are many advertisements featuring hungry polar bears, aimed to encourage us to take environmental sustainability seriously. Something bothers me about the sad polar bear marketing, (no shade to the bears), but what about the people? There are people going hungry in Canada, and around the world, due to climate change. I love a good Sarah Mclachlan song as much as the next person, but I wish our collective focus, anger, action and passion could be shifted to people who are suffering most at the hands of climate change.
What can we do?
As mentioned in Leda HR’s International Women’s Day Blog, the best time to act was years ago, the next best time is right now.
The David Suzuki Foundation has great resources and advice for how we can individually and collectively fight climate change.
My favorite part is the Six Principles for a Just Recovery as it is very people-focused. A few highlights include:
Put people’s health and well-being first. No exceptions
Health is a human right and is interdependent with the health and well-being of ecological systems.
Uphold Indigenous Rights and work in partnership with Indigenous Peoples
A just recovery must uphold Indigenous rights and include full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples, in line with the standard of free, prior and informed consent.
David Suzuki’s Three Pillars of a Green Recovery includes concrete recommendations to ensure a better future and stable climate for all people. Just as we started this blog looking locally, then globally, we can start to tackle climate change in our own homes, but what the world really needs is largescale collective effort. Enormous corporations have enormous, negative, environmental impact. It’s not impossible, but the time truly is right now.
“The pandemic shows that if we act together for the collective good, we can flatten the curve and improve resilience for all.”
About Lindsay Bissett:
By day Lindsay is a Wellness and Disability Management Consultant, with a flair for social media and mental health advocacy. By night she is a mother of two, green smoothie aficionado, podcast listener, and active glamper.
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