Can Humans Really Change The World?
Today is Earth Day around the world aNd there are numerous online events to mark the occasion. But if you are like us and wish to put your energy in initiatives a little closer to home, read on…
It’s the 50th anniversary of Earth Day today, the world’s largest environmental movement driving transformative change for people and the planet. You can head to their website for the lowdown on how to get involved but we believe if we all work together as communities on a local level, where we live, the world would be a better place for us all to live in. So….there are a few things you can do to serve the planet this week, like cleaning up litter on your daily walk, but how about adopting a tree from Spacelab Gozo?
Planting Acorns Today for a Shady Tomorrow
Spacelab, Gozo was created to become the place for feeding the space between your ears and the energy that drives your curiosity every day. An established STEM science and arts creative vehicle delivering cool hands-on happenings and challenges for kids and adults alike, its a place to learn about exciting things on and off planet Earth in a hands on way!
Earth Hour is one of Spacelab’s annual thinking events designed to bring people together with lights out initiatives focussing attention on the fragile nature of our Home Planet Earth. We all got involved on March 28th this year and there was a succession of live events in conjunction with the Queen Mary of London University, Malta Campus where the original live event was due to take place before Corona hit.
This year, Spacelab wanted to create a 2020 Earth Hour legacy for Gozo. And so the idea for planting and naming 60 Holm Oak Trees, grown from acorns, was born.
SPACELAB GOZO
Naomi McDonald, founder and creative director of Spacelab explains: “It’s 60 acorns, one tree for every minute of Earth Hour and we chose to plant the Holm Oak, which is an indigenous tree species to Malta and Gozo. We began planting the acorns during our LIVE event and completed this over the days that followed. In the future we will work to find a partner on the Island of Gozo and to dedicate land for these trees to be planted in three years from now to create an Earth Hour 2020 Oak Grove. We are inviting everyone to become part of our vision for future generations to enjoy the shade of these Oak Trees while remembering Earth Hour and the historic events of 2020 that changed our world view.”
Members of the public and Spacelab fans have been invited to adopt an Earth Hour Oak Tree by connecting with Spacelab on Facebook to submit their special requests. Trees already named include those dedicated to family members and friends. For those wishing to get more hands-on, their sapling can be collected later in the year to be nurtured at home until they are ready to be planted out in 3 years-time.
The Coronavirus is a wake-up call to humanity to listen to the Earth, understand the fragility of all life, and act to take up the responsibility of looking after the only home we have.
SPACELAB GOZO
Ironically the microbial virus of Covid19 is already proving that mass changing of human behaviour is possible very fast. In the countries that are leading action to turn the tide against Covid19, including Malta, the current changes in behaviour have already had an immediate impact on air quality, on sea, on animal and bird life, on marine life and human life. In only a matter of days and weeks we have decreased carbon emissions and fossil fuel consumption, along with other things needed for establishing a sustainable and better world.
We are proving what we knew all along, that when the noise of commercial growth at any cost is removed, people begin to focus on other people and think about our home planet. And those things are the key to driving the positivity needed to make constructive changes in behaviour happen much faster.
So the answer to our question, ‘Can humans save the world?’