News Archives » Diocese of San Angelo
Celebrate Earth Day 2023 April 21st, 2023
World Water Day and World Earth Day are Linked and Flow Together – 2023
 |
 |
BISHOP MICHAEL PFEIFER, O.M.I.
Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of San Angelo
DOWNLOAD the full Pastoral Article
World Earth Day 2023: Invest in Your Planet (Get Inspired. Take Action. Be a part of the green revolution). The website www.earthday.org describes the history of this special day. The 1960s saw a dramatic increase in environmental concerns in the US. With several environmental catastrophes, many Americans felt the need to take a more proactive approach in the stewardship of our planet. To avoid future environmental disasters, Senator Gaylord Nelson, from Wisconsin established the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, to bring light to the issues of environmental responsibilities and transforming the public attitude. That day left a permanent impact on the politics of America. Earth Day was the push the nation needed and not long after that, Congress passed several major initiatives that would become the foundation of our nation’s environmental laws.
Beginning in 1990, Earth Day went global. A day that mobilized more than 200 million people in 141 countries to begin the fight for the environment to the global stage. Earth Day continues to grow, and more than 1 billion people took action for the 40th anniversary of Earth Day in 2010. In 2020, Earth Day marked 50 years of environmental activism and showed no signs of slowing down. Presently, there is a world-wide concern on the danger of Climate Change which affects the present and future of our entire planet. In our Planet, the United Nations has called its latest climate report a “Code Red for Humanity”.
The report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration states that the earth is arguably in worse shape than ever. Scientific evidence is clear that irrefutable-human activity is causing our planet to warm at an alarming rate. We need to act boldly, innovate broadly, and implement equitably. Pope Francis focuses on “ecological conversion” for decisions that can no longer be postponed. This conversion calls for new lifestyles World Water Day and World Earth Day are Linked and Flow Together 2023 3 based on development, sustainability and cooperation between human beings and the environment. Society must explore all options to identify the best opportunities to make our planet more hospitable for generations to come. It’s going to take all of us, international, national, and local governments, businesses, churches, schools, and all citizens on earth to form a partnership to protect and preserve our planet.
DOWNLOAD the full Pastoral Article
2022 Earth Day: Mother Earth is Crying Out for Help April 20th, 2022
BISHOP MICHAEL PFEIFER, O.M.I.
Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of San Angelo
On World Earth Day which we celebrate annually on April 22rd, “Mother Earth” is crying out for help to all of her “children”, all inhabitants of the planet to urgently care for her and repair the damage that is being done to the earth, which Pope Francis calls “Our Common Home — Our mother is crying out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed her”. The earth can indeed be called a “Mother”, as she provides for what we need to live.
Image designed by Freepik
Earth Day is a time to appreciate the wonderful gift of planet earth and to commit ourselves, each and everyone around the world to assure her survival in the future. The theme of Earth Day 2022 is “Invest in Our Planet”. Together all nations of the world indeed must invest much more time, effort, and resources in our earth to ensure a green, healthy, equitable and prosperous future. More than ever, we need to act boldly, innovate broadly, and implement equitably. It is going to take all of us businesses, governments of the world, churches, schools, all citizens, both the young and the old to accomplish this.
