Today is Earth Day, a day to acknowledge what our planet means to us as people, and a time to reflect on what actions we are taking to be stewards and protectors of a sustainable future. The Maryland Campaign for Environmental Human Rights (MDEHR) wrote a pledge that outlines what we value and how we pledge to show up in honor of those values. MDEHR values a clean and healthful environment and a stable climate to sustain all life now and for future generations. Will you join us today in standing up for a state that we want to live in? A state that honors the dignity of human life, recognizes the inextricable link between the health of human life and our environment, and protects Maryland’s natural resources on behalf of the public.
Environmental Human Rights Pledge
This We Know
We, the people of Maryland, are grateful for the life of the earth.
Our earthly home, in Maryland, is an intricate network that supports our human life: the energy of the Sun, the waters from the heavens, the plants from the soil, and the breath from the forests and the seas.
We, as all people before us, have made changes – large and small – to the land and our waters.
And those changes have consequences.. some are beneficial, bringing forth more life. Others are damaging, harming the well-being of the very earth we depend on and, in the worst cases, making those least responsible for the earth’s degradation suffer the most dire consequences.
This We Believe
Humanity is blessed with the capacity to create a vibrant future.
We can use our wisdom, technology, creativity and kindness to fashion a future that gives to all people of Maryland:
Clean water in streams, rivers, lakes, bays and oceans filled with life,
Healthy soil that supports plants of all kinds,
Healthful air to fill lungs of every being, and
A stable climate for all people.
This We Pledge
We honor our interdependence with the land, air, water, and people, present and future.
We know that we have no separate fortunes. We have only one common destiny.
We therefore pledge in Maryland to
- Care for each other and our natural environment
- Work to correct environmental health disparities
- Respect the fundamental right of all humans to live in a healthful environment
- Advocate for laws that protect this right
Join us in our mission to protect your right to a healthful environment and stable climate, now and for future generations. Sign the pledge here!
We acknowledge the inspiration from John Ciekot whose wisdom informed this pledge.
