The month of April is Earth Month. Cities, states, businesses, non-profits, and individuals are planning elaborate and sometimes simple celebrations around the world!! We live in a beautiful world filled with beautiful oceans and rivers, mountains and valley, beaches and lakes, and deserts and jungles. The earth is inhabited by billions of living organisms. Over 6.5 Billion people call it home, billions of animal, fish and insects thrive here, and an amazing array of plants from flowers and forests, to ocean kelp and tidal marshes grace our planet.
But humans must take care of the planet to make sure all these living things continue to grow and thrive. Unfortunately, humans have not been paying close attention to what is happening to our world. We have been warming slowly over the past 200 years since the beginning of the industrial revolution. This warming has caused our climate to begin to change.
In some areas, like here in North Georgia it has been very gradual and almost unnoticeable. But in some areas severe drought has caused places that used to be producers of fruits and vegetables to turn to deserts. Other areas have had so much rain it is constantly flooded and so farms have had to close. Some coastal areas have begun to flood so badly whole islands are being destroyed and the inhabitants are having to find new places to live. Stronger and more frequent storms are causing cities, states, and countries to spend much more money rebuilding what has been destroyed by more tornadoes, stronger hurricanes, more frequent floods, and higher winds.
It is happening, it is bad, it is humans’ fault, but we can do something about it if we act now! It is estimated by the International Panel on Climate Change that we only have 8 years to stop the rise in the earths temperature from going above 1.5 degrees centigrade. This much heating of the planet will make it difficult to stop the changes. Already, our ice packs to the north and south, the Arctic and Antarctic are melting and depositing large chunks of ice in our rising oceans. We need these continents to keep our planet cool.
Come to the North Georgia Conservation Coalitions Earth Day Program on April 23 at the Bowen Art Center on Hwy. 9 in Dawsonville to learn what YOU can do to help save our planet. See our school children’s posters which tell why they are concerned. See our Electric Vehicle Car show to learn how cutting pollution through changing to now affordable electric powered cars can help. Talk to businesses, government officials and non-profit organizations to learn what you can do at home and in your personal life to help stave off this crisis. Bring the children for crafts and face painting, bid of auction items, and buy Earth Friendly fun items to help the cause!!
A great day can be had by all to help save the planet!!
Virginia Matteson, NGCC
Dawsonville
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