Defend our planet. Difendi i tano’ta. Atelághi faluwasch.

Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, left, signs the proclamation that designates April as Environmental Awareness Month during a proclamation signing yesterday at the Micro Beach Pavilion in Garapan, as Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality administrator Eli Cabrera, center, and Mariana Islands Nature Alliance executive director Roberta Guerrero look on. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

This year, the CNMI is celebrating Environmental Awareness Month of April with the call to defend Mother Earth. But how can we do it? What can we do to defend our planet?
It is written in the law: Article I, Section 9 of the CNMI Constitution says, “Each person has the right to a clean and healthful public environment in all areas, including the land, air and water.” All of us have the right to be blessed with all the great things nature offers, but, along with this right comes the responsibility to make sure nature remains pristine—so future generations will also be afforded this right that we are benefiting from today, just as generations before did for all of us.

Aside from April being Environmental Awareness Month in the CNMI, we are also joining the international community in the celebration of Earth Day on April 22, as we engage, along with the billion other participants, in accelerating solutions “to combat our greatest threat”—climate change.

“Everyone that calls this home, it is our obligation,” Gov. Ralph DLG Torres said. “We are moving the CNMI into a world-class destination…hopefully within 10 years. If we all have the mindset of picking up after one another, then we are all in the right direction. …I ask that all citizens of the Commonwealth take an active interest in the environment and to protect it for future generations.”

The governor led the call to defend the planet at the Environmental Awareness Month proclamation held yesterday at the Micro Beach Pavilion in Garapan, along with Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality administrator Eli Cabrera, Division of Environmental Quality director Zabrina S. Cruz, and Micronesia Islands Nature Alliance executive director Roberta Guerrero.

The proclamation calls on everyone not only to take part in enhancing the beauty of the islands, but also to understand that our every action impacts not only ourselves but the land we live on, the air we breathe, and the ocean that provides for everyone.

Raising awareness, Cruz said at the proclamation, is about three things—safety, dedication, and passion. That is, a healthy environment is a safe environment; that hard work and dedication are shown through collaborative efforts with the community; and that passion to protect and defend the planet, and the island from pollution and climate change, should be shared.

“Everything is about the environment—from the air to the mountains, to the land up to the waters. Let us work together. Let us protect our planet, this is ours,” Cabrera added, tracing how environmental awareness programs on island began in the ’80s, and has since been extended to the schools and the communities.

Guerrero highlighted at the proclamation several of these programs co-organized with the government and their many partners that are helping raise environmental awareness in the CNMI, including Ridge to Reef and the Schools for Environmental Conservation program.

“With the support and collaboration of all of you, we stand ready always to support you, as you support us in our programs. …We are teaching the youth about the importance of protecting our environment,” she said.

Guerrero added that MINA is excited to bring the programs to Rota and Tinian, and that they are looking forward to these opportunities to continue on both islands.

We are stewards
House Natural Resources Committee chair Rep. Sheila Babauta (D-Saipan), said in an interview that it is critical that the CNMI community stays informed about the ever-changing environmental issues that surround us as an island community.
“Our livelihood, our well-being, our future are deeply connected to the environment,” Babauta said. “Our ancestors have shown us that we are able to survive for thousands of years when we understand that, as humans, we are a part of this ecosystem. We are blessed. It is a privilege to serve as stewards of our wonderful, beautiful Mariana islands.”
So what can we do as stewards? Simple acts can do so much for the environment. We can be stewards, defend our planet, make a difference and protect ourselves too with these simple actions:

1. Plant trees.
Planting trees—native trees or fruit trees—even in your own yard or garden helps a lot. If you don’t have your own space but want to plant somewhere, make sure to consult first with CNMI Forestry or MINA on where best you can plant your tree. They also have volunteer events, like MINA’s Bring Back Our Trees program, where you can join many others do their planting.

2. Pick up trash.
See a can or a piece of plastic at the beach or along the road as you are walking or jogging? Pick it up! One trash picked up means one trash away from the ocean. Don’t want to pick up trash alone? Join community volunteer cleanup groups like Saipan Cleanup, Island Keepers CNMI, or Marianas Ploggers. Even government organizations such as BECQ and the CNMI Youth Affairs Office organize cleanup events that you can help with. But of course, make sure you throw your trash in the proper bins to begin with.

3. Be mindful of the
plastic you consume.
Of the 10-most collected trash in the CNMI International Coastal Cleanup, seven are plastic—bottle caps, food wrappers, bottles, cutlery, straws and stirrers, grocery and other plastic bags. We have the power to stop, or at least, lessen this, by simply using reusable water bottles, packing balutans in reusable containers, avoiding using straws, or bringing reusable bags when buying groceries.

4. Switch off to
save energy.
Turn off lights when not in use, or simply turning off unnecessary lights and taking advantage of natural light helps save energy big time. Other things that we can do to tone down our energy consumption is by not using AC 24/7 if not necessary, using clothesline to dry laundry, and unplugging unused electronics.

5. Advocate!
Start petitions for the environment. Contact your representatives or encourage your school to take actions toward environmental protection like advocating for reusable bottles and bags, greening the schools and communities, segregating trash, demanding for cleaner power, among many others! Use your voice and be heard!