World Environment Day: An opportunity to re-think.
The year 2020 began with an environmental crisis revealing itself in a disturbing manner. Wildfires ravaged tropical rainforests as if they were arid savannah and the Australian bushfires. Cyclones and floods washed away trees and buildings. Now, locust attacks across Africa and India and the coronavirus pandemic — all these calamities act as a reminder that human health is linked to the planet's health.
World Environment Day 2020:
It is one of the biggest events celebrated in the world every year. It has been seen that during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, the environment gets benefitted slightly, the sky becomes clear, the air is less polluted, etc.
World Environment Day is celebrated since 1974. It is the "People's Day" to do something to take care of the earth and the environment. It is really important to know ways to protect the environment.
For healthy living, the environment plays an important role. It provides us with air, food, etc. It is correctly said that ' the difference between animals and humans is that animals change themselves for the environment, but humans change the environment for themselves'. The environment is just like our neighborhood, its surrounding conditions influence us and modify growth and development.
World Environment Day is promoted by the United Nation and for 2020 Colombia will host World Environment Day. In 2019, China was the host country. World Environment Day is also known as Environment Day, Eco Day. This day is celebrated to spread awareness about the environment and its effects on the daily life of the people.
The environment is the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates. It is necessary to understand the importance of environment and lots of activities are done by the people to preserve and conserve the unique and life nurturing nature. People are more reluctant today to save the environment for the future and then only it will be possible for us to focus on the developmental activities in the country.
World Environment Day 2020 theme:
The theme of World Environment 2020 is 'celebrating biodiversity' — a concern that is both urgent and existential. The fact is that the current environmental crisis is a warning that we must heed collectively. We must now fundamentally rethink our relationship with the living world, with natural ecosystems and their biodiversity.
“With one million species facing extinction, there has never been a more important time to focus on biodiversity.” The day will be hosted in Colombia in partnership with Germany.
The theme for the World Environment Day 2019 was "Air Pollution".
Air pollution is increasing day by day and it seems complex to control it but nothing is impossible we should come together to combat it. And for this, it is necessary to understand different types of pollution, how it affects our health and environment will help us to steps towards improving the air around us.
We can't stop breathing but we can do something to improve the quality of air that we breathe. Around 92 percent of the people worldwide do not breathe clean air.
The theme for the World Environment Day 2018 was“Beat Plastic Pollution”.
We know that it is not possible to reuse plastic, they are non-biodegradable. So, it’s better not to use it. Plastics consist of several chemicals that are toxic or disrupt hormones. Plastics can also serve as a magnet for other pollutants, including dioxins, metals, and pesticides.
Therefore, it is necessary to call people from all over the world to come and combat single-use plastic pollution which harms our ecosystem and consequently us.
The slogan is: If you can’t reuse it, refuse it.
What is biodiversity ?
Biodiversity underpins life on Earth and refers to the variety found in biota from genetic make up of plants and animals to cultural diversity.
Importance of biodiversity
People depend on biodiversity in their daily lives, in ways that are not always apparent or appreciated. Human health ultimately depends upon ecosystem products and services (such as availability of fresh water, food, and fuel sources) which are requisite for good human health and productive livelihoods. Biodiversity loss can have significant direct human health impacts if ecosystem services are no longer adequate to meet social needs. Indirectly, changes in ecosystem services affect livelihoods, income, local migration, and, on occasion, may even cause political conflict.
Additionally, biophysical diversity of microorganisms, flora and fauna provides extensive knowledge that carries important benefits for biological, health, and pharmacological sciences. Significant medical and pharmacological discoveries are made through a greater understanding of the earth's biodiversity. Loss in biodiversity may limit the discovery of potential treatments for many diseases and health problems.
World Environment Day: History
Since 1974, World Environment Day has been started celebrating as an annual event on every 5 June to raise the importance of the healthy and green environment in the human lives, to solve the issues of the environment by implementing some positive environmental actions by government, organizations, and individual as a whole.
There was a turning point in the year 1972, the development of international environmental politics that is the first major conference on the issues of the environment was convened under the United Nations from 5-16 June in Stockholm. It was also known as the Conference on the Human Environment or the Stockholm Conference. Its aim was to commonly look into the challenge of preserving and enhancing the human environment. Then, on 15 December in the same year, the General Assembly adopted a resolution designating 5 June as World Environment Day. Further, another resolution was adopted by the General Assembly on 15 December that led to the creation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The first time World Environment Day was celebrated in 1974 with the slogan "Only one Earth".
Why is World Environment Day celebrated ?
It is necessary to address environmental issues like deforestation, increasing global warming, wastage and losses of food, pollution, etc. Throughout the world, several campaigns are organized with a particular theme and slogan to bring effectiveness around the world.
This day is celebrated to successfully get carbon neutrality, reducing greenhouse effects, focusing on forest management, planting on degraded lands, energy production through solar sources, promoting coral reefs and mangroves, developing new drainage systems, etc.
A study conducted by Ellen McArthur Foundation in 2015 says that about 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic waste has been generated in the world so far, and around 90% of this will not decompose for at least 500 years. Micro-plastic or tiny fragments have been found in soil, tap water, bottled water, beer, and even in the air we breathe, according to scientists.
Objectives behind celebrating World Environment Day
- World Environment Day is celebrated to spread awareness among common people about the issues of the environment.
- Encourage common people from different societies and communities to actively participate in the celebration as well as become an active agent in developing environmental safety measures.
- Encourage people to make their nearby surroundings safe and clean to enjoy a safer, cleaner, and more prosperous future.
What Greenpeace report says ?
3,300 Indians died every day in 2015, according to a Greenpeace report.
On World Environment Day, the UN is making an effort to urge governments, industries, communities and also uniting people against plastic and its side effects. Exploring alternatives that are sustainable. It has created a global platform where people can gather and take positive environmental actions. We should participate in the campaigns and join together to eradicate the problems caused due to pollution and make the environment clean. Together we can make a change.
Post a Comment
image quote pre code