Subject: Earth Day 2020 :: Message of UN Environment Program

22 April is Earth Day. While the corona virus (COVID-19) has been spreading around the world and dominating news headlines, thoughts and attention, the need to take climate action has remained as urgent as ever.  By the end of 2020, global CO2 emissions need to have dropped by 7.6% and continue to fall by 7.6% each year for us to have keep global heating under 1.5oC, according to the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP)Emission Gap Report 2019. Earth day 2020 is not just the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, but also the anniversary of the signing of the Paris Agreement to take climate action. The pandemic is a stark reminder of the vulnerability of humans and the planet in the face of global scale threats. Unchecked damage to our environment must be addressed. In his response to the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19, United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres noted that, "Had we been further advanced in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, we could better face this challenge." Background on Earth Day The first Earth Day took place in 1970. Outraged by oil spills, smog and polluted rivers, 20 million people took to the streets, protesting what they recognized as an environmental crisis. It was the planet’s largest civic event at the time and compelled governments to take concrete actions, including passing environmental laws and establishing environmental agencies. In addition to these practical outcomes, the event demonstrated just how much can be achieved when people come together and demand action. The day continues to hold great significance. In 2009, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution formally recognizing the day as International Mother Earth Day. On Earth Day 2016, the United Nations formally adopted the Paris Agreement, articulating the commitment of nations to limit global temperature rise to less than 2 degrees Celcius over pre-industrial levels; and to strengthen the ability of countries to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change. Earth Day in 2020 Marking its half-century anniversary, and selecting climate action as its theme, Earth Day 2020 was already poised to be a historic event. An occasion planned to bring people physically together across a series of events, COVID-19 has now prompted a dramatic shift to completely digital and virtual platforms. Earth Day 2020 calls for 24 hours of actions, big and small, for people and the planet. On this 50th anniversary, civil society organizers hope to fill the world’s digital landscape with global conversations, positive acts, performances, webinars and events supporting urgent action on climate change. As the world rushes to plan for a post-pandemic recovery, UNEP and other parts of the United Nations system see this as opportunity to call attention to the need to “build back better.” The risks faced by ignoring the threats of environmental destruction must be understood and addressed with protections and policies. April 22 is a timely reminder to embrace the opportunities of the natural world for green jobs, sustainable economic stimulus, for urgently taking action to protect ourselves against unsurvivable global heating and for securing healthy, dignified futures.

Regards

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P.C. Mohan
Technical Services

WISHING YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY EARTH DAY Mother Earth, or Mother Nature,

 समुद्रवसने देवि पर्वतस्तनमण्डले ।
विष्णुपत्नि नमस्तुभ्यं पादस्पर्शं क्षमस्वमे ॥Samudra-Vasane Devi Parvata-Stana-Mannddale |
Vissnnu-Patni Namas-Tubhyam Paada-Sparsham Kssamasva-Me ||


Meaning:
1: (Oh Mother Earth) The Devi Who is having Ocean as Her Garments and Mountains as Her Bosom,
2: Who is the Consort of Sri Vishnu, I Bow to You; Please Forgive me for Touching You with my Feet.

image via lierne, Bhudevi at the Norton Simon Museum

Mother Earth, or Mother Nature, seems to be a universal metaphorical figure.  The Greeks called her Gaia and the Romans called her Terra Mater.  In Hinduism, we call her Maata Bhoomi, or Bhudevi.
The Puranas describe her as the divine consort of Varaha – Lord Vishnu’s 3rd Avatar – and she is also believed to be one of the two forms of Goddess Lakshmi (the other is Sridevi).  In fact, in many South Indian Vishnu temples, Lord Vishnu’s statue is flanked by both Bhudevi and Sridevi.  Bhudevi is also considered the mother of Sita.  She is often pictured with dark (and sometimes green) skin, and with either 2 or 4 arms.
Bhudevi’s Vedic precursor – Prithvi Mata (Sanskrit for Earth Mother) – seems to have been one of the oldest Aryan deities.  Vedic texts cited Prithvi Mata as a symbol of fertility, and considered her the source of all vegetation and other bounties of the Earth.
It’s no wonder then that Hindus begin each day with a prayer to Mother Earth – a Morning Shloka that is to be recited before you put your feet on the ground (audio here):
                    Samudra Vasane Devi,
                    Parvatah Stana Mandale.
                    Vishnupatni Namastubhyam,
                    Paada-Sparsham Kshamasva Me.
O! Mother Earth, who has the ocean as clothes and mountains and forests on her body, who is the wife of Lord Vishnu, I bow to you. Please forgive me for touching you with my feet.
Beautiful, no?  Perhaps you can start a new ritual this Earth Day and have the kids recite this shloka – an homage to Bhudevi – because, really, every day is Earth Day!