12
Apr
Earth Day 2019
On 22 April, US Embassy in Tbilisi will plant 50 trees in the Varketili area. The staff members call for volunteers to join them in celebrating Earth Day.
More than 193 countries commemorate the day. Various events annually demonstrate support for environmental protection.
There are a lot of basic, although significant, things that can protect the planet on which we live: plant a tree, reduce, reuse, recycle, shop wisely (e.g. buy reusable bags and refillable water bottles), walk or ride a bike rather than drive a car, volunteer for cleaning up in our community, use long-lasting light bulbs, etc.
In 1970, environmental activist Gaylord Nelson (1916-2005), who served as a United States Senator from Wisconsin (1963-1981) and 35th governor of Wisconsin (1959-1963), founded Earth Day. The Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies (also known as Nelson Institute) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, named after him, recognises his love and tribute to nature.
Despite the rapid development of information technology, we remain ignorant about many important things and individuals. Even IQ scores are on the decline, according to a report by CNN. Most moviegoers have not seen Mike Judge’s Idiocracy (2006), while only half of those who watched the film appreciate the values it provides. Earth Day is a good reason to watch this film. Over again. And again.
The ancient Georgians are said to have practised paganism, which involved devotion to nature and belief in tree spirits. Temur Palavandishvili’s film Magic Night (1983) is not just another fairy tale that entertains to take your mind off your troubles. It tries to explain why Mother Nature needs our thoughtful care.
Three brothers who completed their studies in different parts of the world met again on the way home and decided to demonstrate their professional skills to each other. The eldest brother, who became a carpenter, carved a wooden girl out of a Lombardy Poplar. The middle brother, who became a tailor, made an outfit for the statue and dressed her. The youngest brother had studied medicine, and he tried his secret potion on the wooden girl to bring her to life. The brothers were to start planning her new life when the girl wished to become a Lombardy Poplar again. The carpenter deeply regretted cutting the tree down, but he could not help her. Luckily, the girl made her wish on a Magic Night, the only time when any wish comes true once a year, and she successfully turned into a tree again.
Another Georgian film about nature and men's relationship is The Letter to Firs (1986), directed and written by Goderdzi Chokheli, a prominent Georgian movie director, scriptwriter and writer. The movie tells the story of a man called Beri who accidentally ends up having a little fir tree growing on his shoulder. Everyone suggests that he cuts it down and keeps his health. The doctor prescribes him injectable medicine, which will heal Beri but make the fir wither. Its roots slowly kill the protagonist, but he sacrifices his life for the tree.
Event: Earth Day
Host: US Embassy Tbilisi, Georgia
Venue: Area next to the building No. 310
Address: Varketili-3, 3rd Microdistrict, Building No. 310, Tbilisi
Transport: Buses No. 39 and No. 101 arrive at the bus stop near the building No. 310
Date: 22 April 2019
Time: 14:00
