Let’s Celebrate Earth Day Like It’s Our ‘Birth’ Day: Dia Mirza

Dia Mirza makes an appeal on Earth Day with a poem.

Earth Day sounds a lot like Birthday
The man that thought of this name
Urged that Earth and Birth connote life
Nurturing and existence
A celebration of the only planet that provides.

His name is Dennis Hayes
He wanted all humans to embrace
The truth that we are all connected
That this place we call home
Must be protected.

He called upon each one of us to make this a matter
That united us.
A day marked to bring people together
No matter what caste, creed or colour.
“The largest secular holiday in the world”.

And why do we need this day, you may ask?
Because our home is threatened by devastating loss
A loss, of consciousness to such a degree
That climate is changing drastically.
Our earth is being ravaged to feed endless greed.

Humans need to recognise
The autonomy of sentient rivers, oceans, forests, wildlife
And how they harmonise our lives
And bring to us health that outweighs any currency
And so we must honour, Nature’s democracy.

Consumerism at any cost
Punctures the earth's atmosphere
And chars our lungs
With poisonous fumes emanating from waste
We must now act with mindful haste.

So, what can I do you ask?
Refuse, things that you know
Are toxic, non-biodegradable
All that plastic that we use and throw
Without caring where it will go.

Remember every item we buy
Will find itself a landfill, a toxic pile
That will pollute our land, our water
Or our air
Be conscientious, be fair, be the earth warrior who cares.

Reuse, recycle, up cycle, with pride
Simplify needs, declutter life
Question excess,
Make responsible living a creed
To this we must pay heed.

Demand clean energy
Ask companies to be responsible
For the resources they consume and abuse
Because sustaining this planet for all life
Should be our collective duty, our urgent goal.

Just as our birthday celebrates
The blessing of life
Let this Earth Day be a reminder
That the only way we will survive
Is if this planet thrives.

(Dia Mirza is an actor, filmmaker, humanitarian & champion of nature)

(This story was first published on 29 April 2017. It is being reposted from The Quint’s archives on the occasion of Earth Day.)