Today is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. The Corona pandemic has given a glimmer of hope that Nature can heal and we should take this responsibility to recover and preserve this beautiful planet for successive generations.

With the pandemic, the world has seen a drop in air pollutants as a result of fewer cars on the road and exhaust from factories due to the lockdown orders issued by world governments. Some places have the best air quality in decades which is good for our lung health. However, Air quality will likely take a hit once shelter-in-place orders are lifted, the temporary change in the environment could spur environmental regulations and policies that could lead to better air in the long term. And the Policymakers should take such stern decisions before the urgent goes out of hand.

In a crisis with no predetermined ending, we all have a role to play that is empowering as much as it is restraining. The virus is raging, but we all can help stop it. What we do here – and what we learn – could save lives and help us all endure and thrive as individuals, as communities, as a species. The lessons can be utilized in restoring Green Earth.

Small individual actions like going green, using renewable sources, reducing food waste and electricity wastage, pooling car, not wasting water can go a long way in creating a difference. Some actions require restrain like no to plastic and some require going out and working towards it like planting trees. We’re waking up to a new world, not apart from nature, but a part of it. We now have the opportunity to see how our collective actions have a wider impact. It extends past COVID-19.

When the factories come back to life and airplanes start flying again, emissions will inevitably pick back. But within our hands we will have the choice to learn from COVID-19 to live better in our own ecosystems, and within the greater natural system of Earth. Why wait? We can start now by being mindful of the energy sources we depend upon and the resources we use. Make a simple calculation : Cost versus Benefit. That’s where the importance of green dialogue comes in. Art of Giving has taken up Go Green and Green Dialogue as the theme this year. However, while it was picking up momentum, we had another crisis to deal with. But that doesn’t deviate us from continually taking up conversation on conservation.

Recognizing the roles we have to play alone and together, we can be better stewards of ourselves, and Earth itself. Let’s Go Green by having Green Dialogue at grassroots to international level, practice individually and collectively, and make each day Earth Day where Coronacrisis experience and lessons comes in handy.