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A14 LOCAL
Saturday 4 January 2020
Happy Birthday Earth!

By Melissa Martin Some elementary schools
OHIO, US — The hanging support “Our Amazing
globe we live on is another Earth curriculum.” We need
year older. “Happy Birth- to teach the young how
day to you. Happy Birthday, to take care of our planet.
Mother Earth. Happy Birth- Nature is a learning play-
day to you.” Sing along. ground.
Earth is our home. How old
is earth? It depends on who “A nation that destroys its
you ask. A creationist and soils destroys itself. Forests
an evolutionist will give dif- are the lungs of our land,
ferent answers. A scien- purifying the air and giving
tist and a Bible scholar will fresh strength to our peo-
give different answers. ple. ”—Franklin D. Roosevelt ery year. April 22, 2020 will Water Day, 22 March 2028.
mark 50 years of Earth Day.
Who named our Earth? Clean Up the World, es- www.earthday.org. Earth What can you do to help
Its name comes from the tablished in 1993, is a not- Day Network is the world’s our Earth in 2020? Volun-
old English and German- for-profit, non-government largest recruiter to the en- teer with a cleanup group.
ic words meaning ‘the apolitical event that unites vironmental movement, Teach your children not
ground.’ Who or what cre- communities with a com- working with more than to litter. Watch National
ated Earth? ‘In the begin- mon focus to protect the 75,000 partners in over 190 Geographic with your fam-
ning, God created the environment. Clean Up countries to drive positive ily and engage in ongoing
heaven and the earth, and the World has engaged an action for our planet. conversations about our
the earth was without form estimated 35 million volun- amazing planet. Check-
and void.’ The other theory teers across 133 countries, The United National Gener- out www.kids.nationalgeo-
is called ‘Big Bang.’ making it one of the largest al Assembly has recognized graphic.com. Cleanup
community-based environ- “the right to safe and clean behind yourself when you
What gifts can we give to mental campaigns in the drinking water and sanita- visit a park. Use a reusable
Earth; a planet that sustains world. Community groups, tion as a human right that water bottle. Recycle ink
our lives. Air, land, water— schools, businesses, and is essential for the full enjoy- cartridges.
essential elements for the local governments join as ment of life and all human
human race. Food from Members and carry out rights.” Since the 1992 Earth “When the last tree is cut Melissa Martin, Ph.D., is
the soil and the sea. Oxy- activities that address lo- Summit, safe drinking water and the last fish killed, the an author, columnist,
gen from the atmosphere cal environmental issues. has been made available last river poisoned, then educator, and therapist.
She lives in US.
and the trees. Shelters with By facilitating local action, to some 1.7 billion people you will see that you can't
wood, rocks, bricks, marble. Clean Up the World brings around the world. The In- eat money.”—John May,
Precious metals and jewels about global environmen- ternational Decade for Ac- The Greenpeace Story
are harvested from Earth. tal change. www.cleanup- tion, ‘Water for Sustainable
theworld.org. Development,’ started on Happy Birthday
We can do better at pro- World Water Day, 22 March
tecting our Earth home. Earth Day is April 22 of ev- 2018, and will end on World Earth!