International Mother Earth Day (22/04)

Every year, April 22 is celebrated not just as a big, but truly global holiday — International Mother Earth Day — day of our common cozy home.

The holiday was established at the 63rd session of the UN General Assembly in 2009 (resolution № A/RES/63/278, co-sponsored by more than 50 UN member states) and has been celebrated since 2010 on April 22.

The President of the 63rd session of the General Assembly, Miguel d'Escoto Brockman, said that the declaration in the resolution of this International Day is a recognition that the Earth and its ecosystems are our home, provide humanity with life, and also a reaffirmation of the commitments made at the UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Therefore, in order to achieve a fair balance between the economic, social and environmental needs of present and future generations, it is necessary to promote harmony with nature and planet Earth.

The resolution also notes that the term «Mother Earth» is generally accepted in many countries, reflecting the relationship between the planet, its ecosystems and humans. Inviting all UN member states, international and non-governmental organizations to celebrate «International Mother Earth Day, the General Assembly draws attention to the fact that this holiday is already celebrated annually in many countries.

In the northern hemisphere, Earth Day is celebrated in the spring, and in the Southern hemisphere, — is celebrated in the fall. The main goal of this global action is to attract the attention of society and every person on the planet to the problems of the Earth, to the problems of its environment, and provides an opportunity to learn about the difficult tasks that humanity faces to preserve the planet.

Nature suffers... (Photo: Karlosk, licensed from Shutterstock.com)

Nature suffers. As a result of pollution from plastic debris, ocean acidification occurs. Climate change, human-induced changes in nature, as well as unacceptable actions that disrupt biodiversity, such as deforestation, land-use change, the introduction of intensive agricultural and livestock practices and poaching, are accelerating the destruction of the planet.

Ecosystems support all life on Earth. The healthier our ecosystems, the healthier the planet and its people. Restoring damaged ecosystems will help end poverty, combat climate change and prevent mass loss of life. International Mother Earth Day is intended to remind us that each of us owes our existence to our planet and its ecosystems.

The tradition of celebrating Earth Day on April 22 originated in the United States in 1970; in 1990, this day became an international event. Moreover, every year this Day is dedicated to a specific topic. In 2016, the celebration of Earth Day coincided with the signing ceremony of the Paris Climate Agreement, which was adopted by all 196 parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change on December 12, 2015 in Paris. As part of this agreement, the countries agreed to jointly limit the increase in global average temperature to less than 2 degrees, and, taking into account the serious consequences, strive for 1.5 degrees.

... it is necessary to promote harmony with nature and planet Earth... (Photo: alphaspirit.it, licensed from Shutterstock.com)

What is our Earth like? It is estimated that planet Earth is approximately 4.5 billion years old. If you want to go around the Earth, walking along the equator, you have to travel almost 40,010 kilometers. The distance from the surface to the center is 6378 kilometers. Moreover, really solid rocks (the lithosphere) form a layer of only about 70 kilometers, and, moving further deeper, we observe semi-liquid and liquid states.

Death Valley in California and a place in Libya called El Azizia hold records for the hottest spots on Earth. El Azizia record — 57.8 degrees Celsius (September 13, 1922), Death Valley record — 55.8 degrees Celsius (July 10, 1913).

Antarctica is recognized as the coldest place on Earth — On July 21, 1983, -89 degrees Celsius was recorded at the «East» research station in Antarctica.

The earth is incredibly rich in minerals — scientists have already classified about 4,000 types of minerals, approximately 200 of them are of practical importance. 50-100 types of minerals are discovered every year.

The Earth has one natural satellite — visible to the naked eye Moon.

Mother Earth Day on April 22, like Earth Day, held on the vernal equinox, gives every resident in all populated areas of the planet the opportunity to express gratitude to our large common home.

Every year, scientists from around the world gather at a round table on this day to discuss global environmental problems. A wide variety of events and actions dedicated to a specific topic are organized in different countries. These are conferences, exhibitions, closing traffic on busy streets of large cities, cleaning the area and planting trees.

In Russia, International Earth Day is traditionally considered the day of public organizations that hold various environmental events and promotions on this day. On this day, everyone can take part in the improvement and landscaping of their yards and streets.



• Infographics – poster «April 22 — International Earth Day» • Story «Purification»

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