National Geographic charts out 50 years of Earth Day, highlights milestones

New Delhi: On the eve of Earth Day on Tuesday, the National Geographic highlighted the highs and lows of world events in the last fifty years that have impacted the planet.

The network has come up with a special infographic that depicts the key events since the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, such as the Kyoto Protocol, Montreal Protocol, Chipko Movement, and Jungle Bachao Aandolan, officials said.

The infographic was unveiled on its social media platforms on Tuesday.

This is part of a campaign #UnitedbyHope run by National Geographic which calls for people to have a growing sense of urgency, solidarity, optimism, and empowerment to take action to help the world rise to the challenges, especially at a time when the entire world is going through an unprecedented crisis.

Also, as part of this campaign, Nat Geo through its four-part film series will also highlight valuable insights from experts and influencers on how unity and preventive measures are imperative in unprecedented times like these, the network said in a statement.

‘Earth @ Home’, Nat Geo India’s first ‘made at home’ documentary highlighting the fragile human-nature relationship will premiere on Wednesday at 7 pm on the channel.

In its statement, the network said, the world has undoubtedly come a long way in these 50 years, since the first Earth Day was observed in 1970. Around that time, about half of the world population was living in extreme poverty, it said.

“The average life expectancy in Africa was a mere 45.6 years. Many such challenges questioned if civilization would even last a century,” it said.

“To create awareness and hope for a prospering planet by the 100th Earth Day in 2070, National Geographic released an infographic, which examines the Earth’s progress and the setbacks over the past 50 years, ranging from the first mass-produced hybrid car and Paris Climate Agreement leading positive change to the ozone hole and Australian wildfires wreaking havoc,” it said.

Today many countries have cleaner air, water but the planet also faces a rapidly warming climate, rising extinction, and other challenges, the network said.

Anuradha Aggarwal, Head – Infotainment, English and Kids, Star India, said, “On Earth Day when people around the world are interconnected to demand a change, our #UnitedByHope campaign presents us an opportunity to inspire people with hope, determination, and awe for the planet.”

“We do not know what lies ahead for planet Earth, but with the power of hope and optimism, we can certainly work for a brighter, healthier future and make the next 50 years of planet more meaningful,” she said.

Emma Marris, a contributing writer for National Geographic, has written a story in its ‘Earth Day 50th Anniversary Special Issue’.

“For the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, I imagined a future in 2070 where our politicians have prioritised our health and safety, as well as the welfare of the natural world. Carbon emissions are at near zero,” she said.