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We all know that Earth is the only planet that has life on it. As of now, it is clear that this planet has been a gift for us humans and other living things that have all the facilities we need, naturally. From air to water to food, everything is provided to us by Earth. So, there comes a question «Why is Earth called Mother Earth?»
It is called “Mother Earth” because during the Paleolithic they referred to a superior life-giving power and on the other hand also as an analogy to our mother, because without her we would not have life and much less a future, so we must protect her.
Mother Earth nourishes humans and all other living things, and the ecosystems support all life on Earth. That’s why the UN General Assembly designated 22 April as International Mother Earth Day through resolution A/RES/63/278, adopted in 2009. The UN website explains that the idea of ‘Mother Earth’ is used because it ‘reflects the interdependence that exists among human beings, other living species and the planet we all inhabit’. On this day, environmental organisations from all over the world come together to highlight the urgent need to protect the many ecosystems that make up our environment. These ecosystems are under attack from climate change and the natural disasters caused by rising temperatures: forest fires, floods and terrible storms. More than a million animal and plant species are in danger of extinction through loss of habitat, mainly due to human activity. This, in turn, is leading to outbreaks of deadly diseases that spread from wildlife to humans. On International Mother Earth Day, environmentalists call for action to reverse this damage.
How did it start?
The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970 in the USA after a decade of local protests about air and water pollution in the United States. In 1969, people were angry about a terrible oil spill in Santa Barbara, California, and the damage it caused. US Senator Gaylord Nelson called for a national ‘teach-in’, bringing together students and teachers to discuss key issues of pollution and conservation.
On 22 April 1970, 20 million people, approximately ten per cent of the total population of the States at the time, joined the ‘teach-in’ and met in streets, parks and universities across the land to call for a healthy, clean, sustainable environment. Some people think of that day as the birth of the modern environmental movement.
Twenty years later, in 1990, Earth Day went global. More than 200 million people in 141 countries came together to call for environmental issues to be discussed on the world stage. In 1995, Senator Nelson was given an award for his work for the environment.
Today more than one billion people all over the world come together each year to celebrate International Mother Earth Day and remind politicians that action needs to be taken to move towards a more sustainable way of life that works for both people and the planet.
For this International Mother Earth Day, let’s remimd ourselves – more than ever – that we need a shift to a more sustainable economy that works for both people and the planet. Let’s promote harmony with nature and the Earth. Join the global movement to restore our world!
Intizar TAGANNIYAZOVA,
the 1st year student of
the Institute of International relations of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.
