World Earth Day is a day dedicated to raising awareness and appreciation for our planet and the many ways in which we can protect and preserve it. Every year on 22 April, people from around the world come together to celebrate this day and take action to help protect the environment.

What is the theme for World Earth Day 2023?
The theme for World Earth Day 2023 is ’Invest in our planet,’ which focuses on the urgent need to restore ecosystems and protect biodiversity. This theme emphasizes the importance of taking action to address the impact of climate change, pollution, and other human activities that have damaged the environment.

A significant challenge is the loss of biodiversity. Biodiversity is essential for the healthy functioning of ecosystems and provides many benefits to humans, such as food, medicine, and recreation. However, human activities such as habitat destruction, overfishing, and pollution have led to a rapid decline in biodiversity.

What is the connection between science and the environment?
Scientists everywhere have been researching the cross-connection of life sciences and the environment. They aim to understand the structure and function of micobiomes, building and interpreting plant science databases or examining how organisms function together and react or adapt to changes that they are exposed to, such as malnutrition, adverse climate events and many others. Progress in biological analyses at both a single scale and across scales, have allowed us to further understand organisms in the context of a dynamic environment.

With this knowledge, scientists can help predict the effects of climate change on all forms of life or even on evolutionary processes, as well ascome up with solutions for more adapted species, crops etc. In the best case scenario, they can even help reverse some of the effects.

Courses and conferences at EMBL about biology and the environment
If you want to hear more about the latest findings, methods, and progress in this field, sign up for our EMBL Conferences, Courses or Symposia: https://www.embl.org/events/.

What can we all do as individuals to address the challenge of climate change? First and foremost, we must reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to the warming of the planet. This can be achieved through a range of actions, such as transitioning to renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency, and reducing waste.

We can reduce our energy consumption, use public transport or cycle instead of driving.

To address the challenge of biodiversity loss, we must take action to protect and restore ecosystems. This can be achieved through initiatives such as reforestation, restoring wetlands and other critical habitats, and reducing pollution.

What can you do today to honour World Earth Day?

Today, you can try to:

• Support our pollinators: attract native bees and other pollinating creatures to your garden or balcony. One way to do this is by selecting and growing  pollinator-friendly plants. 
• Clean up plastic in your neighbourhood or local park. Go on a walk with a trash bag and help to clean up any plastic that you find.
• Swap out your kitchen and household products. For example swap out plastic containers with glass ware, use 100% recycled aluminium foil or beeswax wrapping, use eco-friendly laundry detergent or cleaning products.
• Plant a tree.
• Stop using pesticides and chemicals in the garden.
• Conserve water!

World Earth Day is an opportunity to reflect on the importance of protecting and preserving our planet. It is a day to take action and commit to making positive changes to protect the environment for future generations. By working together, we can make a real difference and create a more sustainable future for our planet!