Ethiopia Will Mark National Earth Day with Special Events

By Biniam N.

Addis Ababa - Ethiopia, which becomes Africa’s mouth peace to climate change negotiation with developed nations, will celebrate National Earth Day on April 22, 2010 with special events intended to raise public awareness on climate change, Climate Change Forum Ethiopia (CCF-) announced here on Monday.

Panel discussion organized under a topic: ”Financing Climate Change Adaptation and Negotiations” for senior government officials is one of the many events to be carried out as the part of the celebration of the Earth Day, which will also be observed globally for the 40th time same day.

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who led Africa to the Copenhagen Climate Negotiation Summit, is expected to make a keynote address at the panel discussion.

Film festivals involving all major cinemas in Addis Ababa where they will screen environmentally and socially responsible films and documentaries will be part of the events organized to mark the day.

Series of lectures would also be given by scholars in the field at the Addis Ababa University and regions on various relevant issues.

Ethiopia has celebrated World Environment Day Nationally successfully, organizers said, adding that Earth Day is very different from other as it addresses the Earth in its entirety (humans, wildlife, vegetation and health, etc.)

In a news conference held here on Monday, Executives of Climate Change Forum Ethiopia (CCF-E) said “the Ethiopian Earth Day Celebration will look at human health, gender roles, wildlife protection, water, sanitation, agriculture, suitable business practice, land protection/management, etc.”

The celebration has to inform the public that the environment is not separate from health, population, economic development, gender or cultural preservation and that they all are interconnected. It will also review the post Copenhagen developments from the perspective of Ethiopia, Africa and the world.

An event focusing on public awareness on climate change would also be held here in the capital.

They said the celebration of Earth Day is intended to make the public realize the rapid degradation of the environment and depletion of natural resources due to human intervention.

“The concept (Earth Day) has extended as we begin to understand our environment and interdependent relationships humans have with it, and the impact of climate change is being realized, “according to a press release issued by CCF-Ethiopia.

Earth Day 2010 will mark the conclusion of the “Green Generation Campaign”, which includes “ordinary people who are engaged in individual and collective activities to improve their health, their schools, to Participate in building a solution to urgent national and global issues, such climate change or the world’s water crisis.”

With negotiations for a new global climate change accord reached in Copenhagen, Earth Day 2010 must be of action and civil participation to defend the “Green Generation” core principles. A carbon free future based on a renewable energy that will end human’s dependency on fossil, including fossil, an individual’s commitment to responsible and sustainable consumption and creation of a new green economy are some of the core principles of the core principles.

According to the executives of CCF-E, organize “clean your environment” day in schools or communities, talk about family planning and reproductive issues, discuss the impacts of climate change, use Eco-bags instead of plastic and help Ethiopia keep its water clean are some of the public awareness campaign to be carried out during the celebration.

Story by ENA