By: Eva Maria Chullo Angelo (@evamariachuang), Alessa Soza Vela (@alessa_sozs), and Romina Honda (@rom97_)
In 1970, a significant environmental milestone occurred in history. About 20 million people in the United States took to the streets to draw attention to the impact of human activity on the environment. At that time, pollution had reached critical levels, and the environment was suffering the consequences of oil spills and ongoing wars. This act of awareness had a significant impact and contributed to the creation of stricter environmental laws and policies. As a result, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson founded Earth Day.
Thanks to this call, various ambassadors set out to carry out initiatives using Earth Day to address environmental projects and involve students in classrooms, organizers in their communities, and government officials. As a result, in 2015, a plan was established to achieve a series of objectives that would allow for sustainable development, respecting the environment and other resources. The UN plan consolidated this as the "Agenda 2030". The Agenda contains 17 goals with 169 integrated and indivisible targets covering economic, social, and environmental aspects. From the environmental perspective, it ranges from climate action to the protection of underwater life and the promotion of responsible production and consumption.
As a result of the proposed action initiatives in the agenda, "Earth Day" became an opportunity to remember the commitment to the environment, strengthen good practices, create awareness, and implement projects.
Currently, we continue to fight to demand that various producing industries participate with social and environmental responsibility to contribute to the reduction of global warming. Among the challenges we must face are identified: responsible consumption of limited resources, leveraging technological advances to create a circular economy with an environmental focus, reducing waste and recycling, among others.
In the case of Peru, the actions that make a difference are related to:
The creation of lodges that have been built respecting the environment and with an ecological focus on their services to promote eco-friendly and sustainable tourism. These include EcoLodge Máncora (Piura), Manish Hotel Ecológico (Pucallpa), EcoAmazonia Lodge (Puerto Maldonado), La Confianza Hotel (Lunahuaná), Colca Lodge (Arequipa), among others.
Raising awareness through fashion, there are brands that opt for sustainable and environmentally-focused production. For example, during March 2023, the retail chain Falabella launched a campaign called "Feria de Trueque + Verde en el Perú" to promote new sustainable habits by exchanging clothes we no longer use with those that could be used (El Comercio, 2023).
The "Earth Hour" initiative, while this action is global, in Peru, the date and time of this eco-friendly activity are also promoted in the media with the aim of turning off lights for 60 minutes and giving the planet a break.
Let us not forget that every day should be considered Earth Day to reflect on the way we live, work, and consume, as all of this results in environmental degradation. We can start with small actions at home or within the community, such as talks to raise awareness, teaching how to be self-sustainable with resources at our disposal, creating a culture of cleanliness with waste sorting, recycling to create materials that we can use, and more.
Every small action you take to care for the environment can make a big difference. Recycling your waste, using less plastic, turning off lights when you don't need them, or walking instead of driving are small actions that can help reduce pollution and protect our planet. Remember that small actions can generate big changes. Start today and join the fight for a more sustainable world!
Bibliography:
Jefferys, D. (2021). Datos del Día de la Tierra: ¿por qué se celebra y dónde empezó? National Geographic. Recuperado el 29 de marzo de 2023, de https://www.nationalgeographic.es/medio-ambiente/datos-del-dia-de-la-tierra-por-que-se-celebra-donde-empezo
Earth Day Network. (s.f.). History. Recuperado el 29 de marzo de 2023, de https://www.earthday.org/history/
Daugherty, B. (2011, April 20). Datos del Día de la Tierra: ¿Por qué se celebra? ¿Dónde empezó? National Geographic. Retrieved April 2, 2023, from https://www.nationalgeographic.es/medio-ambiente/datos-del-dia-de-la-tierra-por-que-se-celebra-donde-empezo
Frases sobre la TIERRA. (2021, October 7). Frases. Recuperado el 2 de abril de 2023, de https://www.frasess.net/frases-sobre-la-tierra-764.html
Gamez, M. J. (2022, May 24). Objetivos y metas de desarrollo sostenible - Desarrollo Sostenible. Objetivos y metas de desarrollo sostenible - Desarrollo Sostenible. Recuperado el 2 de abril de 2023, de https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/es/objetivos-de-desarrollo-sostenible/
CEPAL. (2018). Informe sobre el comercio y el desarrollo: Poder, plataformas y políticas. Recuperado de https://repositorio.cepal.org/bitstream/handle/11362/40155/24/S1801141_es.pdf
ONU. (2022, 1 de abril). El cambio climático está haciendo estragos en la vida de las personas más pobres y vulnerables, alerta un nuevo informe de la ONU. Noticias ONU. https://news.un.org/es/story/2022/04/1507552
Naciones Unidas. (s. f.). Día de la Tierra. Antecedentes. https://www.un.org/es/observances/earth-day/background#:~:text=La%20Asamblea%20General%20design%C3%B3%20el,prioridad%20en%20la%20agenda%20pol%C3%ADtica
Naciones Unidas. (s. f.). Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible. https://www.un.org/es/observances/earth-day/background#:~:text=La%20Asamblea%20General%20design%C3%B3%20el,prioridad%20en%20la%20agenda%20pol%C3%ADtica.
Cuando Pasa. (s. f.). Día de la Tierra en 2023. https://www.cuandopasa.com/index.php?v=v49495d
Naciones Unidas. (s. f.). Día de la Tierra. https://www.un.org/es/observances/earth-day
National Geographic. (2021, 22 de abril). 46 logros medioambientales desde el primer Día de la Tierra. National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.es/medio-ambiente/46-logros-medioambientales-desde-el-primer-dia-de-la-tierra
El Comercio. (2023, 30 de marzo). Feria de trueque de Falabella: cómo la firma apunta a extenderse en todo el país con ropa de segunda mano. Retail, Centros Comerciales, Tiendas, Intercambio, Comercio, Chile, Colombia, Second Hand. https://elcomercio.pe/economia/dia-1/falabella-feria-de-trueque-de-falabella-como-la-firma-apunta-a-extenderse-en-todo-el-pais-con-ropa-de-segunda-mano-retail-centros-comerciales-tiendas-intercambio-comercio-chile-colombia-second-hand-noticia/
El Comercio. (2022, 22 de abril). Día de la Tierra: 8 hospedajes ecológicos para conocer en el Perú. Medioambiente, Alojamientos ecológicos, Turismo sostenible. https://elcomercio.pe/vamos/peru/dia-de-la-tierra-8-hospedajes-ecologicos-para-conocer-en-el-peru-medioambiente-alojamientos-ecologicos-turismo-sostenible-noticia/
WWF Perú. (s.f.). La Hora del Planeta. WWF Perú. https://www.wwf.org.pe/nuestro_trabajo/campanas/la_hora_del_planeta/#:~:text=Este%2025%20de%20marzo%20del,demos%20una%20hora%20al%20planeta.