Earth Day

Today is a good time to reflect on the progress and potential work still to be done to clean up the environment. Since the first Earth Day was on April 22, 43 years ago, it is clear that children living today have been exposed to information about the dangers of greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, and declining water resources all of their lives.

     Compared to 57.06 degrees Fahrenheit in the period from 1970 to 1979, children living in the past few years have seen the average global temperature reach 58.11 degrees in 2005 and 2010, the warmest years on record. While an increase of a little over 1 degree Fahrenheit may not seem like cause for concern, the 2007 report from the UN-sponsored Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reminds us that temperature increases have a major impact on such things as water shortages and the increased violence of storms that arise in warmer ocean water. In the wake of the Oklahoma tornado and Sandy hurricane, it might be time to take these predictions to heart.

     After posting "A Healthy Environment" on August 27, 2012, I have continued to update this blog post with information about what young people can and have done to combat environmental problems. Recently I read that angels also help protect the Earth. Among the nine ranks, or choirs, of angels identified in the Bible, the rank of Virtues is said to carry God's messages and commands to the seasons, stars, sun, and other members of the universe. If true, we can only welcome their help along with all the other help the Earth gets from every source, including its children.

     The World Wildlife Federation invites young people to sign a pledge to make environmental changes in their own lives and to become advocates for social action to protect the planet. To sign the pledge, go to worldwildlife.org/youthpledge.