Earth Day too greenwashed – The Economic Times


What is the meaning of Earth Day? If your answer involves celebrating the planet by shopping the Earth Day sales or posting a selfie of yourself enjoying nature, well, you may have missed the point. That’s not to say that your Earth Day celebrations haven’t been well intentioned; they’re just so far removed from what the founders of the first Earth Day envisioned, which was protesting and demanding change on behalf of those being hurt by the climate crisis.

It’s not your fault, though. Much like with the climate crisis in general, corporations, polluting industries and our capitalistic society are to blame for greenwashing Earth Day….

Plus, Earth Day often inspires social media users to post photos of themselves simply enjoying the Earth’s beauty, such as taking a hike, posing alongside spring flowers or gardening – none of which really supports Earth Day’s goal of furthering the environmental movement. Basically, capitalism has caused various parts of society to lose touch with the meaning of Earth Day….

To combat this, spend your Earth Day taking climate action, whether that means participating in a local protest; volunteering at a trash cleanup; dedicating the day to contacting local leaders about climate issues; calling out pollutive corporations; or anything in between – and, yes, posting on social media about the climate action you take in honour of Earth Day is okey-dokey.

From ‘What Have We Done to Earth Day?’, Green Matters



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