by Editor Kimberly
Edited and published by Yvette Depaepe, the 21st of April 2023

 'Globe ice is melting...' by Ben Goossens

April 22^nd is Earth Day, an annual event celebrated each year  to raise awareness and promote action for the protection of the environment. The first Earth Day was observed in 1970 and it has since become a global event, with millions of people participating in a wide variety of activities to raise awareness and support environmental conservation.

The theme for Earth Day 2023 is “Restore Our Earth” highlighting the urgent need for collective action to try and reverse the damage done to our planet. Climate change, pollution, deforestation, and the extinction of species are just some of the issues that threaten the health and well-being of planet Earth and its inhabitants.

The Earth Day Network, a non-profit organization that leads the global Earth Day movement, has outlined five key areas of focus for Earth Day 2023: climate action, conservation and restoration, plastic and pollution, environmental education, and civic engagement.

We can participate in Earth Day activities by organizing clean-up events, planting trees, reducing our carbon footprint, supporting sustainable businesses, and advocating for environmental policies. Organizations can also get involved by hosting educational events, initiating green initiatives, and partnering with other groups to promote environmental stewardship.

The power of many
Earth Day serves as a reminder that we all have a responsibility to protect our planet and that even the smallest of actions carried out by millions of people can lead to significant positive impacts. Working together, we can create a more sustainable and equitable future for ALL living things. 

As photographers WE can support Earth Day initiatives.
Through our decision to choose revenant and documentary images, we have the opportunity to capture the beauty and wonder of the natural world, as well as the threats that face it, and inspire people to take action to protect our environment.

Here are some specific ways photographers can support Earth Day initiatives: 

1.      Document environmental issues: Use your skills to document environmental issues such as pollution, climate change, and deforestation. These images can be used to raise awareness of these issues and to promote action to address them. 

2.      Show the beauty of nature: Capture the beauty of nature, from majestic landscapes to intricate ecosystems. These images can help foster a sense of connection to the natural world and inspire people to protect it. 

3.      Collaborate with environmental organizations: If you can, work with environmental organizations to support their initiatives. This can include creating images for campaigns, contributing to educational materials, and documenting conservation efforts. 

4.      Use sustainable practices: Photographers can also support Earth Day initiatives by using sustainable practices in their endeavours. This can include using eco-friendly equipment and materials, minimizing your carbon footprint, and advocating for sustainable practices within your sphere of control. 

5.      Share your images: Finally, we can share our images widely to reach as many people as possible. This includes sharing on social media, exhibiting in galleries or public spaces, and contributing to environmental publications and campaigns.

Together we can leverage our skills and creativity to play a vital role in raising awareness and promoting action to protect our planet !

A few links I suggest that might help inspire

Earth Day website:
https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2023

Recent CNN article: “Ten photographs that made the world wake up to climate change”
https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/29/world/climate-change-photography-paul-nicklen-cristina-mittermeier-c2e-spc-intl-scn-climate/index.html

You can follow Canadian photographer Paul NICKLEN and his wife Cristina MITTERMEIER on INSTAGRAM
https://www.instagram.com/paulnicklen/
https://www.instagram.com/mitty/

And their new initiative: Sea Legacy
https://www.instagram.com/sealegacy/

And now, here is just a small sampling of breath-taking images I found from our 1x members.

'Rainbow Pancake' by Karol Nienartowicz

'Crossing the fields' by Peter Svoboda

'Ready to jump' by Jimmy Hoffman

'Fill the frame' by Jennifer Lu

'Dancing in The Moonlight' by hardibudi

'Commonwealth' by Gunarto Song

'Cultivation in drought land' by Azim Khan

'Ice Tunnel' by Marsel van Oosten

'The Jungle Book' by Roberto Marchegiani

n/t by Eyal Amer

'Mountains and rivers' by Annie Poreider

'StormRoad' by Marcel Egger

'Transportation in Antarctica' by Mei Xu

'Thor's Helmet nebula' by David Dayag

Mr and Mrs Jaguar – Panthera Onca' by Mathilde Guillemot

'Eagle hunters' by Daniel Kordan

'Salty tongue (Salt lake)' by Shenshen Dou

'Thunderstorm' by Artem Shestakov

'Organ Scenery' by Petr Polách

'Patagonia Autumn Night' by Yan Zhang

'Down Fog Army' by Karsten Wrobel

'Stellar sea Eagle' by Jie Fischer

'What Lies Ahead' by Ryan Dyar

'A local king' by Dianne Mao

'The storm' by Bingo Z

'I Have my Eye on You' by Linda D Lester

'Pink Lake' by James Zhen Yu

'living together' by Marco Pozzi

'Haciendo Planes' by Javier Senosiain