Earth Day and Naidoc 2020

April 22nd is Earth Day, which in 2020 is in its 50th year. The first Earth day in 1970 was initiated by Denis Hayes, a 25 year old graduate student, and saw a whopping 20 million Americans take to the streets in protest of environmental ignorance, demanding that we, as a people, move forward in a new and less destructive way. 

Earth Day made way for landmark environmental laws in the United States, including the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts. Many countries around the world soon adopted similar laws, and most recently in 2016 the United Nations chose Earth Day as the day to sign the Paris Climate Agreement into force.

Always was, Always will be.

Half a century on, now more than ever, the world is in urgent need of a change in direction, so fittingly this year's Earth Day theme is Climate Action. This year's Naidoc theme ‘Always was and Always will be’ has also never been more relevant. How are the two connected? Well, it is a well-known fact that the Indigenous people of this country - and in places all around the world - lived in harmony with the earth for over 65,000 years.

 

Image sourced from seedmob.org.au

We feel very strongly about the importance of placing our land in the capable hands of those who are best equipped for the job - Australia’s First Nations people. But where do we begin?

There are many Indigenous environmental groups pioneering the way to a healthier planet. Two examples that we love are Seed - Australia’s first Indigenous youth-led climate network, and Country Needs People - a collaboration of Indigenous Australians and allies calling on our government to increase resources and long-term funding of Indigenous Rangers. Of course, there are many more collectives, large and small, doing wonderful work, but these are two shining examples that are doing huge things for our planet, and are in need of our support.

Indigenous ranger Barbera Petrick, sourced from countryneedspeople.org.au

Covid-19 and Climate action

The last several weeks have seen people the world over slow down and live differently due to the spread of Covid-19. In the absence of the human population, in only a matter of weeks, we have seen air and water pollution levels drop drastically and a resurgence of animals and wildlife. For all of those naysayers out there, this is hard evidence of two things: One, we are responsible for the damage to our climate, and two, when we act collectively, the results are huge and immediate.

These times are a testament to what we can do when we act together. There is so much that can be done, and so much that urgently needs to be done. We at Life Apparel will continue to strive to help bring people together as we move forward together toward more united, cleaner future.