Mother Earth, awareness of the care of nature

World Mother Earth Day is commemorated every April 22, more than a billion people in 190 countries carry out various demonstrations and actions to remember that the planet and its ecosystems give us life and sustenance. The origin of this celebration began in 1970, when 20 million Americans began to demonstrate for a healthy and sustainable environment. It was in 2009 when the United Nations Organization declared April 22 as World Mother Earth Day.

According to the United Nations Organization, this day offers the opportunity to raise awareness among all the inhabitants of the planet about the problems that affect the Earth and the different forms of life that develop on it. Expand and diversify the environmental movement around the world and mobilize it effectively to build a healthy and sustainable environment, address climate change, and protect the Earth for future generations.

In Mexico, the importance of preserving Mother Earth is celebrated and recognized, a common expression used to refer to the planet in various countries and regions, which demonstrates the interdependence between human beings, other living species and the planet we all inhabit.

For example, for the Wixarikas, the earth is a central divine being, it is the mother Tatei Yurianaka, this deity gives life to herself and to the world. For the Tzotzils of Chiapas, like many other peoples, they think that the land on which they live, walk, and breathe is sacred. They conceive of the land as the mother of their community, so it is imperative to request its authorization before making use of it: harvesting fruits, growing food and drinking water, even building houses.

For the Andean people (currently made up of the countries of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and the associated countries of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay) Mother Earth is known as “Pachamama”, which clearly reflects that the concepts regarding Mother Earth coincide in essence among the world’s ethnic groups.

In 1992, more than 178 countries signed Program 21, made up of Agenda 21, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and the Declaration of Principles for the Sustainable Management of Forests at the United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development (UNCED), the Program is a comprehensive action plan to be adopted universally, nationally and locally by organizations of the United Nations System, Governments and Major Groups in each area in which human beings influence environment.

Subsequently, with the objective of providing humanity with the necessary instruments for the sustainable use of natural resources and to build the essential scientific infrastructure for sustainable development, in 2005, the General Assembly declared 2008 as the International Year of Planet Earth for promote the teaching of Earth sciences.

It is imperative to reflect on the fact that climate change is one of the main challenges facing humanity in the 21st century and that its main manifestations have repercussions on biology, economy and society. Mexico highlights two points: Humanity recognizes that the Earth and its ecosystems are home and declares itself convinced that in order to achieve a fair balance between the economic, social and environmental needs of present and future generations, it is necessary to promote harmony with the nature and the Earth. Likewise, Mexico together with 171 countries (through the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2016) commits to work to stabilize the increase in the planet’s temperature below 2º Celsius.

Mother Earth pleads for immediate, clear, convinced, committed actions. The oceans fill with plastics and become more acidic. Extreme heat, wildfires, floods, and other weather events have affected millions of people. In 2020, COVID-19 emerged, a global health pandemic with a strong relationship with the health of our ecosystem.

Climate change, human-induced changes in nature, as well as crimes that disturb biodiversity, such as deforestation, land-use change, intensive agricultural and livestock production, or the growing illegal trade in wildlife, may accelerate the rate of destruction of the planet.

Ecosystems support all forms of life on Earth. The health of the planet and its inhabitants directly depends on the health of ecosystems. Restoring those that are damaged will help end poverty, combat climate change, and prevent mass extinction.

Becoming aware that the human being is part of the earth and not the other way around “that the earth does not belong to us” is the first step to reverse the damage that has been caused, consider more the vision of indigenous communities and inhabitants of towns natives who venerate Mother Earth, for being the giver of life and sustenance. Remembering today more than ever that there must be a shift towards a more sustainable economy that works for both people and the planet. Promote harmony with nature and the earth.