James Lawson, Somerset Member of Youth Parliament’s campaign is Young People and the Fragile Environment, so it’s fitting that on Earth Day he write an article about this very important day.
James has just returned from a trip to Iceland, He said ‘I wanted to share a couple of photographs of the melting glacier – so you can see the real impact on our planet, and hopefully inspire more of you to go eco!’
The device that you are reading this article on, is made up of 100s of raw materials provided to us by Earth. Every day we rely on our planet for everything, so it makes sense that we should take at least one day aside to thank our world. This is where Earth Day comes in – Tuesday 22 April 2025. Yet, most people have never even heard of this day, let alone acknowledge it in some sense. I hope that one day, Earth Day will be as important as Easter.
And why should that be so? Firstly, all religions are bound together by one joint admiration for our planet, so an Earth Day recognised by all would help enable joint action without division and conflict based on personal differences. Secondly, in the last year, over 15 billion trees have been cut down. 15 billion habitats. 15 billion carbon reservoirs. 15 billion beautiful and complex structures lost and replaced by pastures and roads.
This leads me on perfectly to what one can do to enjoy Earth Day. Scientists estimate that we need to plant a trillion extra trees to start decreasing levels of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. This is only a rough estimate because some trees, including coastal mangrove plants, can absorb four times as much carbon dioxide as other trees. However, if this estimate is true, everyone could plant 10 trees in their garden or local area, and 80 billion trees would be planted on Earth Day. This is a tenth of the overall goal, so in fact only 10 Earth Days would allow for a significant improvement to our climate.
Basically, what I am trying to say is go to your local garden centre and pick up a tree. Apple, birch, sycamore – whatever.
If you aren’t able to do this, just spread the word so that other people can help raise awareness.
James
Young people and fragile environment
Each Member of Youth Parliament (MYP) works on a campaign during their term, which is supported by their Deputies and the Advisory Group. MYP James Lawson’s campaign for his term of office is Young People and the Fragile Environment.
To find out more about James’ campaign visit his Campaign page.
