General News of Tuesday, 22 April 2008

Source: By Joe Kingsley Eyiah, Teacher, Toronto-Canada

April 22 Is Earth Day!

Let’s Be More Responsible Toward the Earth.

Every year on April 22 we celebrate Earth Day the world over. Despite its importance, some question whether Earth Day is still relevant? Over the past 18 years ‘environmental activists living in Canada had spent their lives protesting big companies that harmed the planet-earth’. Their efforts are now being vigorously supported by school children who see our irresponsible activities towards the planet as worrying. In Canada it is reported that, ‘children speak of atmospheric carbon dioxide while lecturing their parents on the evils of family SUV.’

As an elementary school teacher in Toronto-Canada, I was amazed by the captions some of my Grade 7 and 8 students used to create posters for this year’s Earth Day celebration. Some of the captions read: Save us by Saving the Earth; Together we work to Save the Earth; Live by Saving the Earth; A Cleaner Earth, A Better Life; Saving the Earth Starts with You! Wow! These young one are concerned about saving the earth. What about you? If we care to save the earth then we need to be more responsible toward the planet.

In recognition of Earth Day, I will like to draw the world’s attention to one area of responsibility toward earth, which is crucial for human existence on this planet-WATER! Many countries including Ghana and even the US are struggling with it. Take a minute or two to read the short report and consider the debate question that follows: Humans like all living things need certain things in order to survive. One of these things is WATER. We are living in a world where the human population has gone from 1 billion to around 6 billion in only 80 years (well within the lifetime of a human being!) this rise of our species has caused an enormous stress on earth’s resources including our fresh water supply. Canada has the world’s largest reservoirs (stores)of fresh water and as the planet’s supply becomes less and less, other countries (the US already has!) will come to Canada for water. So the question is: Is water a basic human RIGHT? (www.teach-nology.com) The debate comes to you! Let’s be more responsible toward earth to save our sources of fresh water.