OTTAWA -- The first Earth Day, celebrated on April 22, 1970, is widely credited with launching the global environmental movement. Nearly 50 years later, we face a global climate emergency and species are going extinct at a rate not seen in the last 60 million years. Clearly there is work to be done.
Leader of the Green Party, Elizabeth May (MP, Saanich-Gulf Islands) has organized for Earth Day since its inception in 1970 when she was in grade 10. “This year’s Earth Day theme: Protect Our Species, is another wake-up call,” said Ms. May. “Insect populations are decreasing at an alarming rate. We need to create wildflower corridors, plant trees and gardens, grow more organic food - these are tangible actions we can take to restore habitats. The web of life is so intricately connected; to break even one strand can be catastrophic.”
“The news of species extinction can be overwhelming, especially when you think of the threat to our own species,” commented Green Party Deputy Leader Jo-Ann Roberts. “But, there are solutions. I am inspired by the leadership of Elizabeth May, who shows us daily that we must not give up.
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