Today, Monday 22^nd April 2013, is the 43^rd anniversary of EARTH DAY and an estimated one billion people across the globe are taking action against Climate Change.

A controversial subject, and one that continues to be debated upon by government officials, environmentalists and scientists, Climate Change may still have its doubters, but one only has to travel to countries such as Eastern Africa, the South Pacific and Southern America to see that climate change is very real – and a lot closer to home than you may think.

Climate change may seem like a ‘remote or distant’ problem for some, but the fact is, climate change (and the effects thereof) is already impacting ‘real’ people, changing the landscapes of ‘real’ countries, and leading many of our ‘real’ animals to extinction – so what can we do?

The goal of Earth Day is to create awareness, encourage those who have been affected by climate change to share their stories with the rest of the world, and help the rest of us understand what we can do help, while asking the question – How has climate change impacted me?

As someone who lives in Europe, I have to say that climate change has not had a dramatic impact on my life… yet. The winters are longer and colder than they were when I was a child, the summers are hotter, and the rain seems to come by the bucket full – or not at all, but life goes on, as we know it.

However, having travelled the world, I have witnessed firsthand how devastating climate change can be, and I know that if we do not make an international effort, the glaciers of Mount Kilimanjaro will disappear, the Polar Bears in the arctic will no longer have a place to live, and the prolonged droughts in Africa will lead to the depletion of human and animal life.

The world is such a beautiful place, and I truly believe it is up to our generation to make a difference.  Making a conscious effort to turn off the lights, recycle waste, and lower our carbon footprints is a great place to start, and if you would like to become part of the solution, visit the Earth Day website and add your photo to The Faces of Climate Change global mosaic.