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Sustainable Development Goal 15: Life on Land
The United Nations (UN) created the Sustainable Development Goals as a shared plan for the world to “end extreme poverty, reduce inequality and protect the planet by 2030.” The 15th Goal on their list, Life on Land, addresses how Climate Change is already impacting people and ecosystems; how changes to land are driving Climate Change, and how we can harness solutions “from the ground up” in the present day.
The Goal specifically relates to the annual International Day for Biodiversity, because bringing awareness to the protection of ecosystems is key to achieving the goal. Though the event is online-only this year, we can still make our voices heard.
2020 Theme: Our Solutions Are in Nature
Each year a theme is chosen to represent the International Day for Biodiversity. For the 2020 event, the theme is “Our Solutions Are in Nature,” meant to convey that no matter how great our technological advances are in the modern world, at our very heart we remain dependent on Mother Earth’s resources for survival.
An article in Counterpunch explores how Indigenous knowledge could be vital to preventing the spread of Covid-19, reinforcing the importance of harnessing Native Wisdom. A blog post in Psychology Today encourages a reconnection to nature, citing quotes and advice from spiritual leaders. BusinessGreen reports on calls to the government to adopt more nature-based infrastructure solutions.
The good news is that the environment is getting a lot of attention in the wake of the pandemic. Dr. Gaurab Basu, a respected primary care physician, wrote a piece in Grist about the links between the virus and nature. Renowned Scientist Dr. Jane Goodall recorded a moving message about how the destruction of nature has led to our current situation. The BBC reported that the fallout from the pandemic will give the opportunity for advocates to make a stronger case for protecting nature
Take Action Today
Join us to spread the word about the International Day for Biodiversity by sharing this post, promoting the event on your social media channels, commiting to a lifestyle change that helps the environment or making a contribution to The White Feather Foundation to Protect Indigenous Cultures, so that they may use their wisdom to preserve Mother Earth in her most natural state.
Every effort, big or small, made to maintain the integrity of our natural world is another step toward the conservation of life.
