Welcome to Earth Day 2021, a day to celebrate our connection to this planet and the natural world we inhabit.
A day to celebrate that we’re alive and functioning during this global pandemic, still getting up each morning greeting loved ones in a resilient world that, like us, is in need of healing and connection.
It’s an Earth Day where many of us are feeling disconnected from each other, isolated through the restrictions the pandemic has imposed on us. But it’s also one where we better understand the need to turn outward and do what we can to restore what’s been lost.
It’s a day to breathe in and exhale.
We woke yesterday to a world where a police officer was held accountable for the murder of George Floyd, showing hope for the possibility of change in a deeply entrenched system.
Later today, the expectation is that President Biden will commit the U.S. to a nearly 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions during his global climate summit.
So much possible change for a better future. And it’s needed, not just for our physical health, but for our mental well-being too.
Climate change and the health of our planet has a clear impact on our mental health. According to a report from the American Public Health Association, up to 54% of adults and 45% of children suffer depression after a natural disaster.
And those of us who haven’t lived through a natural disaster can also feel trauma.
Reading about dire climate change predictions or watching a natural disaster on the news can result in people feeling anxious or depressed and has even inspired the term eco-anxiety, which the American Psychological Association calls “a chronic fear of environmental doom.”
If you’re looking for the perfect climate change antidote today, EarthDay.org has one for you.
Join the Earth Day Live: Restore Our Earth online celebration beginning at noon for an incredible line-up of speakers with ideas and thoughts for ways we can restore our climate. You can also test your knowledge about climate change with this Earth Day quiz.