It is meant to wake up the millions who are not yet alert to the onslaught to the environment which is endangering the planet. Yet, how many who come across this slogan have paused for even a few moments to consider the consequences of environmental damage to the planet we live on? Earth Day, celebrated on April22, presents the possibility to awaken the millions of people across the world who at other times may have overlooked how the biodiversity of the Earth was under constant threat.
Sloganeering on Earth Day is a good way of showing concern for the earth, but does it yield results? Not always, it requires action. The main thrust of earth day this year is that this is the moment to change it all — the business climate, the political climate, and how we take action on climate. The aim is commendable, but how does one make it happen in Goa?
It is pertinent and relevant to Goa that one of the objectives of Earth Day is protecting endangered species from extinction. The India page on the website on Earth Day states that the country is home to over 91,000 species of animals and 45,000 species of plants. It goes on to state that there is a threat to their existence and urgent steps are essential to provide them protection. “Primates, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, spiders, coral, trees and plants make up close to 1,000 species from India that are placed on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List. Many of these are endemic to the land, and if not protected, will vanish forever from the face of the earth,” the page says.
The reason why this is relevant to Goa at this point of time is because the biodiversity hotspot that is the Western Ghats is under threat from various sides. In the run-up to Earth Day there has been a rather fierce debate going on in Goa about whether the protected Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary should be declared a tiger reserve or not. While environmentalists and animal lovers are all for this, the forest dwellers are opposed to the idea fearing that such a designation to the forest will affect their livelihoods and have found an ally in the Forest Minister, who is also opposed to a tiger reserve.
The tiger is an endangered species and requires protection. Earth Day is the right time to give these animals the protection they deserve. Related to the tiger conservation programme is also the protection of the forests. For the past couple of years there has been a massive movement for the protection of the Mollem forests, a large area of which is under threat due to the three linear projects. Saving the trees will in turn protect the tiger for whom the forest is a natural habitat. The environment is linked in such manner that any action on one of the elements affects the other adversely.
Goa has many earth warriors who take up for the environment. It has almost been a fulltime task for some of those who have put the environment before everything else. It’s been a long fight to save the forests, save the trees, save the tigers, save the coastal areas, reduce plastic, reduce litter. The State needs to take a leaf from Earth Day 2022 what says we need to act (boldly), innovate (broadly), and implement (equitably). It can’t be done just by those tireless foot soldiers of the environment. All citizens must come together on this and along with business and government work to make Earth say not just a symbolic manifestation. Remembering that there is no Planet B may help make it happen.
