Earth Day, celebrated each year on April 22, just went by. With "Invest in Our Planet” as the theme, the focus is on engaging governments, institutions, businesses, and people across the world to do their part. And, this includes dedicating time, resources, and energy to solving the climate crisis. What role can we play in this? Here's what!
Population, a concern
While there are many factors impacting the condition of our planet, one significant aspect is our population. According to the recent UN world population dashboard, India has surpassed China to become the world's most populous nation with 142.86 crore people as against China's 142.57 crore. When a country's population increases, one of its most important benefits is the potential for economic growth. But a spike in population also has negative environmental implications. When the number of people in a country increases, it becomes more difficult to reduce carbon and methane emissions. Not just that, more number of people means more space required for living and more mouths to feed. This could translate to forests being cut down-for meeting both housing and farming needs. When forests go, habitats do too, and along with them the flora and fauna of the region. Apart from food and housing, people's necessities, comforts, and luxuries also use up natural resources – more the number, faster the depletion of resources. A growing population also leads to a higher amount of pollution – in air, water, and land. This pollution affects not just humans but also animals and plants. In a world already grappling with climate change, population increase too adversely affects our environment.
What can we do?
Individual efforts can be as fruitful as collective ones. There's so much we can do alone and as a community to be invested in the planet we call home. Here's a glimpse into a few ways in which we can be kinder to the Earth
• Plant native saplings in your neighbourhood
• Make conscious efforts to reduce the use of plastic
• Take a pledge to choose a sustainable lifestyle
• Plan regular awareness campaigns on local environmental issues
• Conduct river and beach clean-up programmes
• Invite environmentalists and conservationists for talks
Picture Credit : Google
