In Commemoration of World Earth Day, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), has called for the urgent protection of biodiversity in holistic ways that require both individual and collective actions.
This year’s Earth Day, on the theme Our Power, Our Planet,” points to the need to accelerate the transition to clean energy, drastically reduce carbon emissions, and protect biodiversity in holistic ways that require both individual and collective actions.
Executive Director of HOMEF, Dr Nnimmo Bassey, highlighted the importance of urgent action and investment in remediation and restoration of the global environment. “The theme Our Power, Our Planet reminds us that humans have the power to act in ways that preserve the environment, secure lives, and build a sustainable future. It is time to build positive alternatives and transform our relationship with nature from one of colonial extraction to one of stewardship,” he said.
He notes that the environmental challenges faced, from shifting weather patterns to the loss of biodiversity, require more than incremental change as protecting the Earth is not a choice, but a necessity for the health, economy, and security of every nation.
Also Read: http://Mr P Shifts Birthday Celebration to November 30
Dr Bassey further said that the planet’s ecosystems are the foundation of all life. “From the air we breathe to the water we drink, the gifts of nature are irreplaceable. Protecting the Earth means safeguarding our own health, stabilising global food supplies, and ensuring that future generations inherit a planet that thrives, not just survives. To do otherwise is akin to burning our father’s house only to inherit the ashes.”
Health of Mother Earth Foundation urges everyone to mark this day by planting gardens, ending the use of single-use plastics, and supporting customary conservation and zero-waste models. It is a day that once more exposes the intolerable environmental harms such as oil pollution, gas flaring, deforestation, and destructive extractive activities.
HOMEF particularly frowns on the unending oil fires on our waters, two of which are the Ororo 1 well fire off the coast of Awoye, Ondo State, that has been burning for six years, and the wellhead fire on the river at Ofiomina-Ama community in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State that has been raging for two years. It is time for the Nigerian government to act to end these persistent nightmares, decommission the time bombs, and rehabilitate both the environment and the people.
The 2026 World Earth Day theme focuses on promoting the transition from fossil fuels to sustainable energy sources and protecting ecosystems and wildlife, equally pointing to the need to conserve water, reduce waste, and plant trees to foster a greener future.
“This Earth Day, we must not merely celebrate the planet but commit to defend her for the collective future of both humans and other beings,” he stated.
