April 22 is Earth Day.
Why do we celebrate Earth Day?
Earth is our home. Earth is the only planet that we know of that has life. Earth is the only planet in the galaxy that is known to have the capacity to support life of any kind, much less human life. Earth is all we have.
There may be other planets in the universe with life. There may even be other planets in the universe that could support human life. However, so far we have no evidence of any such planets.
Even if we were to discover another planet that could sustain human life, we lack the technology to travel to such a planet. We may develop the necessary technology in the future, but we are not close to such a possibility.
In the meantime, we are destroying our home. Our only home.
The scientific consensus is that human actions, specifically the burning of fossil fuels, is responsible for climate change. (source: UN) If left unchecked, this climate change will have catastrophic results that could destroy civilization, result in mass extinctions of plant and animal life, and even threaten the future survival of humanity.
In the incomprehensible vastness of the universe, our comparatively tiny, seemingly insignificant little rock is actually far from insignificant. Our planet is incredible and it is a miraculous gift. We must recognize how precious this place is. We must do whatever it takes to protect it, for all of our sakes.
Find out more:
Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary School Library 