Mumbai, Apr 22 (IANS): Actress Dia Mirza has always been vocal about environmental issues. On the occasion of Earth Day on Thursday, she said we must hold authorities accountable for changes in the environment, too, besides making efforts on the personal front.

"We need to mobilise greater momentum now than ever before. Of course, personal behaviour change will make a difference, but along with learning to lead more sustainable lifestyles, we also need to hold governments, industry and civil society accountable. We need to imbibe and disseminate scientific facts which are now more accessible than ever before," she said.

The actress urged people to raise their voices now.

"We must join movements to protect nature/wildlife and demand laws that will ensure the change we need. We need every single earth citizen to work towards restoring the planet to its former glory. When political, business and environmental leaders work in synergy with people from all walks of life to protect the earth, a better world will come into being," she said.

She says that the pandemic has taught us a lot about how we are interlinked to the environment.

"The ongoing pandemic has made it abundantly clear that we have to change the way we live, produce, manufacture and consume. Today, the health of every single human being and our collective harmony hangs in the balance and is closely linked with the well-being of mother nature," she said.

An awareness needs to be spread, asserted Dia, adding: "What we need to begin with is the dissemination of environmental literacy at all possible levels because we cannot save what we are ignorant about. The theme of Earth Day this year is a clarion call to restore the balance of the natural world on which all of life depends."