Environmental Scout Centre Kočevski rog

For more than 50 years we have been marking Earth Day on 22 April. This year under the theme “Restore Our Earth”. But why does our Earth need restoring, and how can we do it?

We have all heard about climate change, the spread of deserts, the disappearance of plant and animal species and warnings that humanity is destroying the planet. It is not enough to soften the consequences of our impact on nature or simply adapt to them. Scientists and decision makers around the world are studying natural processes and green technologies that could help restore forests and other ecosystems, regenerate soils and wildlife populations, improve farming, and remove vast amounts of plastic waste from the oceans.

How can we most effectively restore our planet?

By restoring ecosystems. Ecosystems are natural systems where living organisms interact with the non living parts of their environment. A forest for example is formed by all its animals, plants and fungi together with rock, soil and water, all of which create the forest ecosystem. Other ecosystems include oceans, mountains, meadows, orchards, lakes and rivers.

Why do ecosystems need restoring, and what do we gain from them?

They provide clean drinking water, purify the air we breathe, maintain soils, and give us food because we cannot produce it ourselves. They support the natural cycles of matter, regulate climate and weather, and supply building materials, fuel, and raw materials for medicine. They are the foundation of every civilisation and support our economy.

Life is possible only on the third rock from the Sun, our Earth. Ecosystems make this life possible, including your life and mine.