Pope Francis' Earth Day Message ""Our generation has bequeathed many riches, but we have failed to protect the planet and we are not safeguarding peace..."

On World Earth Day 2024, Pope Francis reminds everyone of our duty to protect the planet and safeguard peace.
Societies around the world marked Earth Day on Monday, April 22, and in response Pope Francis repeated his plea for bold action for our common home and for world peace.
The international Day was established in 1970 to raise awareness about the critical environmental challenges facing our planet, and to mobilize efforts to address them.
In a post on his X social media platform (formerly known as Twitter), Pope Francis noted that his generation has left many monetary riches to later generations, but has done little to protect the planet.
He also commented on the link between current environmental problems and the many conflicts raging throughout the world.
"Our generation has bequeathed many riches, but we have failed to protect the planet and we are not safeguarding peace. We are called to become artisans and caretakers of our common home, the Earth which is "falling into ruin." #EarthDay
The Pope's post echoed his words in the 2015 Encyclical Laudato si' on care of our common home and its call for individuals, communities and governments to care for nature.
This 54th annual Earth Day's theme, to draw global attention on urgent environmental issues, was "Planet vs. Plastics," focusing on plastic pollution and on the urgent need to reduce its use and production.
Humans produce over 400 million metric tons of plastic annually, which is roughly the weight of all human beings on the planet. Only 9% gets recycled, and about 22% of plastic waste worldwide is either not collected, improperly disposed of, or ends up as litter.
As plastics degrade into microplastics, they release toxic chemicals into ecosystems, contaminating oceans (where over 1 million metric tons end up every year), food and water sources, and endangering all forms of life.
This year’s campaign, therefore, prioritizes spreading awareness about these detrimental effects.
The longer-term aim is to obtain 60 percent reduction in plastic production by 2040 so as to safeguard both human and environment health. To this end the campaign, also emphasizes the importance of investing in innovative technologies and materials to pave the way for a plastic-free world.

Edited from Vatican News