Are you celebrating the World Earth Day with the rest of the world? More and more people in China do!
The official date for this holiday is April 22, 2021, which in Chinese is known as 世界地球日 Shìjiè Dìqiú Rì.
It’s a great (and fun) way to raise awareness of the importance of environmental protection (环境保护 huánjìng bǎohù).
In this article, we take a look at how China sees & participates in the World Earth Day.
World Earth Day in China: Raising Awareness
China has been coping with air pollution for decades. Chinese people have now started to realize that in many ways, the pollution is caused by their daily activities.
As awareness grows, more and more people in China join in celebrating World Earth Day, an important event to promote environmental protection.
Since China’s economy has developed quickly the Chinese government has been actively promoting environmental protection across the country.
World Earth Day in China: Official Efforts
Local authorities and various associations team up to organize educational events on the World Earth Day. Environmental activists in China like to promote the idea of living “a green life” (绿色生活 lǜsè shēnghuó), which is about:
- Not using plastic bags and disposable chopsticks
- Walking or cycling to work instead of driving a car
- Sorting garbage
- Reusing, recycling & reducing waste
- Buying fewer new things & reducing consumerism
World Earth Day in China: Local Efforts
While the government is busy organizing official events, ordinary people take action too. They do this mainly by using environmental-friendly products (and of course, posting about them on Weibo and WeChat). Almost every Chinese family now has some kind of energy-saving devices.
World Earth Day in China: Going Green
People in big cities understand how important it is to combat environmental pollution. The government is also trying to make the cities a better, greener space.
They are starting by planting more trees and flowers, building green spaces, etc.
Take Xiamen as an example. The local government has been spending a lot of effort developing infrastructure and making the city eco-friendlier.
There are many gardens and parks across Xiamen now — they make the city an idyllic place to live in China.
World Earth Day in China: Educating Kids
Children also need to understand that it’s their responsibility to care about the environment. So every year, China’s environmental organizations hold seminars and exhibitions on the World Earth Day.
Through these activities, millions of Chinese kids & teens get the chance to learn more about environmental protection, ecology, and nature.
Water and energy conservation are a part of China’s strategic plan for environmental protection. So the government also encourages parents to tell kids that it’s important to save water & energy from an early age.
Besides, courses related to environmental protection are now also included in school curriculums across China. These classes help students get a general idea of the environmental quality in China and encourage them to take part in local environmental activities.
Looking Into the Future
It’s great to see that Chinese people are becoming more aware of the importance of environmental protection. As China is very fast at accepting new trends, we are hopeful that the ideas of environmental protection will soon become the new norm for all.
0 Comments