What's Earth Day all about anyway?

April 22 marks earth day. What does this mean?

The international event celebrating Earth Day the world over just marked 50 years since and founding. And with the current global crisis continuing to urge us all to stay indoors, Earth Day 2020, with the yearly theme 'Climate Action', took to the digital realm to encourage each and every one of us to join the conversation, take action and be part of a local digital Earth day event near us.

As the international day adapted to the digital sphere we now all occupy, individuals around the world were invited to take action in three ways: join the global digital surge, watch Earth day live or take 24 hours of action.

Although we can already see how much air pollution has decreased due to the shutdown, our planet hasn't paused like we have, and the climate crisis we faced before COVID-19 is still very much here. We must continue to take action. We must continue to join the conversation. There is only one planet for us and as we've witnessed over the past three months, our capitalist systems are more fragile than we thought.

Welcome back to FairPlanet's weekly roundup. Read, Debate: Engage.

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The good

Fighting climate change is good for the economy

The battle between climate action and those who deny it often revolves around financial gains and losses. But we now know that natural climate solutions like ending deforestation and restoring degraded forests could, at the global level, create 80 million jobs, bring 1 billion people out of poverty and add $2.3 trillion in productivity growth.

Innovative clean energy as well as alternative meat industries are also on the rise and set to produce millions of new jobs with them.

There is no longer time to try justifying our continued destruction of the planet for the sake of the economy or the jobs these sectors give. With growth and development, there will always be new and better opportunities. It is up to us to seize them.

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The bad

Our exhaustion of natural resources is destroying entire regions and nations

The unrestricted usage of mercury - a highly toxic chemical - in gold mining operations across Zimbabwe is wreaking havoc in communities around the country, leading to rampant illness and deaths and inflicting terrible damage on the environment.

Established in 2001, ZELA engage in research and policy research, advocacy, impact litigation and civic education, and work closely both with communities on the ground and governmental entities in order to promote the safety and equal access of Zimbabweans of all backgrounds to natural resources.

Find out more about ZELA and what you can do to support its mission.

zela

Fight for environmental justice in Zimbabwe!

by Yair Oded

ZELA is a non-profit law firm fighting for environmental justice in Zimbabwe, working with both communities and gov't bodies. Support their efforts today!

Earth on FairPlanet

	"Yes" to life, "no" to mine by Magdalena Rojo Indigenous people from Capulálpam de Méndez recently proved that it is possible to say "no" to the destruction of the environment. Read

	Lawsuits as weapons against climate change by Frank Odenthal Around the world people are rising up and file lawsuits against companies for their emission of greenhouse gases or entire governments for their inaction to fight the climate crisis. The Dutch NGO "Urgenda“ has now been successful. Read

	Hilda Flavia Nakabuye - How Young African climate activist is creating a youth revolution by Bob Koigi For 22 year old Hilda Flavia Nakabuye from Uganda, climate change is a personal story. Growing up she watched her grandmother’s farm fail; the livestock and crops it produced were wiped out due to a drought. At university she attended a climate change dialogue that changed her entire life. Read

	Mexico – a leader in environmental education by Magdalena Rojo Mexico, together with Italy, encouraged other countries to get inspired by their initiatives in environmental education at COP25 in Madrid. Read

	Eco-Crimes: Shell and the Niger Delta Vast oil-reserves in the Niger-Delta – one of the planet’s most precious wetlands situated at the African West-coast of Nigeria. Read

Country focus

Nigeria

Bordering Chad, Benin, Niger, and Cameroon, Nigeria is situated in West Africa and is a key regional player in West Africa.

Nigeria accounts for about half of West Africa’s population with approximately 202 million people and one of the largest populations of youth in the world. Nigeria is a multi-ethnic and culturally diverse federation which consists of 36 autonomous states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The country has been grappling with back to back military coups and today has an elected leadership under President Muhammadu Buhari, who was elected in March 2015. Nigeria has experienced a growing divide between its Islamic and Christian population, with extreme Sheria law in Northern states in the country distancing the two religions apart even further.

A former British colony, Nigeria is one of the globe's largest oil producers, and yet the local population has hardly benefitted from this natural resource due to a fatal level of corruption with the government, elites as well as local and multinational oil companies involved. Thus, the environment in the country, particularly local communities around the Niger Delta have suffered unimaginable damage from the industry.

Nigeria is one of Africa's biggest media markets. There are hundreds of radio stations and TV networks, as well as cable and satellite platforms. With millions of Nigerians being online, WhatsApp and Facebook are leading social platforms.

According to Reporters Without Borders, journalists face threats and violence in the course of their work.

All stories about Nigeria

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