Earth Day, 2021: Virtual Events & Environmental Films

Earth Day is an annual worldwide event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by EARTHDAY.ORG (formerly Earth Day Network) including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries.

This year, the motto of the UNESCO-organized event is “as the world returns to normal, we can’t go back to business-as-usual.” The three-day event will be held virtually and could be attended by anyone on this link: https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2021/.  

The program on April 20th: 

Global Youth Climate Summit led by Earth Uprising, in collaboration with My Future My Voice, OneMillionOfUs and hundreds of youth climate activists. The global youth summit will consist of panels, speeches, discussions, and special messages with today’s youth climate activists including Greta Thunberg.

On April 21st: 

“Teach for the Planet: Global Education Summit” led by Education International. The multilingual virtual summit will span several time zones and feature prominent activists from every continent, focused on the crucial role that educators play in combating climate change and why we need transformative climate education now. 

April 22nd, Earth Day:

“Earth Day Live” digital event. Workshops, panel discussions, and special performances will focus on Restore Our Earth™ — we’ll cover natural processes, emerging green technologies, and innovative thinking that can restore the world’s ecosystems. World climate leaders, grassroots activists, nonprofit innovators, thought leaders, industry leaders, artists, musicians, influencers, and the leaders of tomorrow will come to push us towards a better world.

If devotees, families, and communities wish to celebrate Earth Day by watching Krishna-conscious environmental videos and films, below is a selection: 

Govardhan Ecovillage

Govardhan Ecovillage in Maharastra, India, is a model based on sustainable and experiential engagement with the surrounding community. Every thought and action is born out of this commitment to the environment and the local communities where it operates.

Running time: 5 min

The Stolen River

Six young people in rural India set out on a journey to find out who is poisoning their sacred river Yamuna, causing people and animals to fall sick and die en masse in their village and surrounding areas. By the time they arrive at the foothills of the Himalayas, a shocking reality unfolds in front of them: their river has been “stolen” and replaced by an open flow of sewage, causing a major ecological disaster affecting tens of millions — to which, unknowingly, the whole world contributes. Can they save the river, people’s lives, and their holy land, the very heart of ancient Indian culture?

Running time: 39 min

Non-profit screening license: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/thestolenriver2

Home video: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/thestolenriver3

Educational screening license: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/thestolenriver

For a 25% off, please use the Earth Day special promo code: EARTHDAY2021 (valid until April 30th).

Krishna-valley, Hungary

Love and dedication transform an infertile, tick-infested sheep run into one of Europe’s largest sustainable eco-villages.

Running time: 16 minutes

Nature’s I.Q.

Insects, birds and mammals carry out most of their behavior in a predetermined, instinctive way. But where do their mysterious, complicated behavioral patterns come from? Presenting dozens of behavioral examples, Nature`s I.Q. intends to entice the audience to question what they thought, and were taught, to be unshakeable truth. Meet the deceptive hunters, the cunning bluffers, the unlikely partners, the champions of timing, and the remarkable wanderers of the sky, and be prepared to witness that nature can be more unfathomable than contemporary science allows for.

Running time: 58 min

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/naturesiq

For a 25% off, please use the Earth Day special promo code: EARTHDAY2021 (valid until April 30th).

The Joy of Devotion

Fifty years ago, a 70-year-old spiritual teacher from India arrives in the West and settles among the hippies of New York’s Lower East Side. From a tiny storefront, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami starts a revolution of consciousness influencing tens of thousands in the U.S. and worldwide. But what happens to his movement after their charismatic leader’s passing? Will it survive? Will it change? Can an ancient Eastern spiritual tradition be relevant in the modern 21st century?

Running time: 67 min (The ecology part starts at 34 min.)