With several exceptions, there's not much to celebrate on Earth Day 2022

I remember well Earth Day 1970.  That year I was teaching Earth Science in Klamath Falls, Oregon.  People all around the USA (& probably elsewhere) were joining the Environmental Movement.  The EPA was created.  As well as a number of other environmental laws, the Clean Air Act was passed.  In many regards, it was a time of optimism.  It seemed to be a paradigm shift for the better.

Except for a small number of countries/areas around the world (the USA is NOT in the exceptions), fifty-two years later we have the following:

1)  in general, GDPs continue to expand, and that correlates directly to increasing ecological damage;

2)  men like Putin apparently possess almost zero knowledge of ecological principles (never mind ethics);

3)  like most other countries, the USA has no Fed Dept of Sustainability;

4)  Biden is re-opening drilling for fossil fuels on public land;

5)  cleanup on the most toxic sites in the USA (Superfund sites) practically is at a standstill;

6)  the petrochemical industry is pumping out more single-use plastic items than ever before;

7)  the climate situation continues to deteriorate;

8)  instead of being proactive and thus addressing the ecological causes of pandemics, governments continue to be reactive when fighting disease;

9)  the Powers-That-Be are not adequately addressing biodiversity loss and numerous other eco-problems, most likely because they don't understand such problems are an existential threat to humans; and

10)  there still is no permanent solution to the problem of millions & millions of gallons (or in many cases, pounds of solid material) of nuclear waste, which now is being temporarily stored in every State in the USA.  [Some of it is escaping into the soil, the water, and the atmosphere.  Such waste will remain radioactive for thousands of years.]

Given the above, one wonders if perhaps we should change the scientific name of humans (Homo sapiens) to Homo moronicus.  😕

To all the exceptions I mentioned, keep going with your good work.  It must be discouraging at times, but you can prevail.  Sustainability still has a chance.  KUDOS, and thank you for your efforts.

.........................................

Not only my opinion.  Be Well

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-beginning-of-the-path-to-human-extinction-and-how-to-get-off-it-scott-haley/1141364431?ean=2940160947181