Our Planet Earth and all of its inhabitants, human, animal, vegetable and micro organism species are under extreme pressure, facing multiple threats.
From climate change, sea level rise, desertification and scarcity of freshwater, loss of agricultural land, ocean pollution, to the increase of diseases resistant to antibiotics, the growing surge of diseases jumping from animals and insects to humans, because of habitat loss, ecosystem degradation, and an alarming rate of vital ecosystems loss and species extinction due to human activity.
The global and national economies have barely begun to recover from the devastating impacts from the global COVID-19 pandemic, which has drastically reduced the capacity of many nations to reboot and grow their economies to create new jobs, provide basic services to their citizens, reduce poverty, improve national health infrastructures, and create conditions through education, innovation, science and technology for diversified economies, with built-in resilience, and the capacity to meet the Sustainable Development Goals and set goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The conflict in Ukraine has created new problems from acute shortages of fossil fuel energy resources, to a massive surge in refugees, and a growing food shortage and rapid increase in agricultural commodities prices, resulting from the loss of fertilizer (component) exports and staple food products, such as wheat and cereals and edible oils, of which both Ukraine and Russia are major exporters. Even all of the industries that incorporate microchips in their products are impacted by the war in Ukraine.
All of this is causing serious setbacks in meeting climate goals, the Sustainable Development Goals and protection of biodiversity and ecosystems worldwide, some of which are vital to global food security and health. Unfortunately our planet can’t wait, because If we humans fall behind on meeting urgent deadlines, it will be too late for all of Planet Earth.
The United Nations and Earth Day Network for 2022 have picked as a theme “Invest in Our Planet” for Mother Earth Day, aka as Earth Day to emphasize the need to get everyone, and the corporate sector and governments in particular to start investing time, money and joint efforts to save the planet. Earth Day isn’t enough and that is why Rainbow Warriors Core Foundation has created a new annual campaign which runs from April 8 all the way through June 8, called “Eight to Eight, Because Our Planet Can’t Wait”
Focus and showcase for small island developing states
Aruba is home to the University of Aruba, which has a unique SISSTEM faculty, that focuses on Small Island Solutions through Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, and is based on a European Union funded collaboration with the University of Leuven (Louvain) in Belgium. Aruba is also home to a unique blend of fundamental and applied research foundations, and a growing number of initiatives in citizens’ science and innovation, new agricultural technologies and a sizable investment in wind and solar energy projects.
This in combination with our ties to the European Union through the Kingdom of The Netherlands makes Aruba uniquely qualified to showcase efforts and technologies to solve problems that Small Island Developing States face, but also to translate these into solutions for global use.
Eight To Eight, Because Our Planet Can’t Wait
The campaign runs annually from April 8, through June 8. It has a threefold focus.
International and United Nations decades
It will address the following:
1. International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022-2032)
2. UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030)
3. UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030)
4. UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030)
5. UN Decade of Family Farming (Smallholder, Small Scale Farming, 2019-2028)
6. International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development” (2018-2028)
7. UN Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016-2025)
8. UN Decade of Sustainable Energy for All (2014-2024)
International years
This will cover:
1. International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development (2022)
2. International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (2022)
International days
1. International Day of Human Space Flight, April 12
2. World Creativity and Innovation Day, April 21
3. Mother Earth Day/ Earth Day, April 22
4. World Book and Copyright Day, April 23
5. World Day for Safety and Health at Work, April 28
6. World Press Freedom Day, May 3
7. World Migratory Bird Day, May 14
8. World Telecommunications and Information Society Day. May 17
9. World Bee Day, May 20
10. International Day for Biological Diversity, May 22
11. World Bicycle Day, June 3
12. World Environment Day, and International Day for the Fight Against Illegal, Unreported and
Unregulated Fishing, June 5
13. World Food Safety (and Food Security) Day, June 7
14. World Oceans Day, June 8
Format of campaign
This campaign will fully harness all the new media technologies and uses storytelling, press releases, fact sheets, interactive media, Facebook, blogs, websites, live streaming and video web sites. To focus on how things are done and get done IN Aruba, we will provide short videos on Facebook and YouTube. Fact sheets, tool kits and informational materials will be made available online, and we will also strive to get printed media coverage through in-depth articles and interviews.
Press and general inquiries
For more information, or how to sponsor our activities, or to participate and collaborate with us, please contact us by phone/Whatsapp at +297 7478280, or email address ecoaruba@yahoo.com.
