World Environment Day – Only One Earth To Live And Enjoy

Dear readers, Shashi Thakur has chronicled some facts about the importance of World Environment Day, and shared my views on the ways to preserve our Mother Earth.
environment day
Environment Day

           (Image – Facebook)

Each year, World Environment Day is dedicated on June 5. This day is observed to stimulate understanding of environmental safety. According to the United Nations, “The sentiment of this day allows us to expand the purpose for an enlightened belief and ethical conduct by individuals, enterprises, and communities in conserving and enriching the environment.” 

World Environment Day was first celebrated in 1974 in the city of Spokane in the USA.

History of World Environment Day:

The UN first organized World Environment Day in 1972, when the United Nations General Assembly founded the World Environment Day on the first day of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. Two years later, in 1974 the first WED was held with the theme “Only One Earth”. Even though Environment Day celebrations have been held yearly since 1974, in 1987 the notion of diverting the hub of these activities started, by choosing various host nations.

How is World Environment Day celebrated?

The day is commemorated by connecting the governments, businesses, celebrities, and citizens to concentrate their actions on the burning environmental problems.

World Environment Day compels all of us to safeguard our natural surroundings. An estimated 7 million people die every year from factors linked to air pollution, with a bulk occurring in the Asia-Pacific region. This day of June 5, motivates worldwide activism ranging from littering to climate change. World Environment Day is both a worldwide celebration and an arena for social outreach.

The 2019 event was hosted by China, which now owns half the world’s electric vehicles and 99 percent of the world’s electric buses.“The nation has proved enormous oversight in fighting air pollution domestically,” said Acting Head of UN Environment Joyce Msuya. “It can directly enable the world to take bigger actions.”

The numbers to be ALARMED about: 

90 billion tons – the number of reserves excavated from Earth every year.

7.8 billion – the number of people inhabiting Earth.

4.1 billion – the number of buyers in the world.

5.6 billion – the number of customers predicted by 2030.

70% – the percentage of the world’s resources now being overexposed.

2.12 billion tons – the number of junk released every year.

50 million tons – the number of e-waste manufactured every year.

$7.8 trillion – the cost of the global production of artificial chemicals.

2050 – the year when the world community is hoped to be massive to feed.

2070 – the year when coral reefs are anticipated to be extinct fully.

5 Interesting facts (concrete steps taken), about World Environment Day: 

          (Image – Indiamart)

  • Solar Panels

Yanchi Ningxia solar park in China, the largest solar farm, can provide electricity up to 1 billion watts.

  •  CO2 Vacuum Cleaner

The giant machines invented in Switzerland in 2016, arrest CO2 to purify the air we inhale.

  • The Ocean Cleanup

Led by a 22-year-old and backed with $30 million, the company uses U-shaped nets to grab the debris in the ocean.

  • Plant-Based Plastic

Developed by an Indonesian firm, it’s created from agricultural leftovers like sugarcane, corn, etc.

  • Eco-Friendly Batteries

These batteries are created at the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden utilizing upgraded aluminum.

2022 Theme: Only One Earth

The World Environment Day 2022 global campaign #OnlyOneEarth hails transformative shifts to strategies and options to enable cleaner, greener, and sustainable habitation in peace with nature. It will direct on the need to live sustainably in unity with nature, and our chances for moving to a greener lifestyle through both rules and personal choices. 

“Only One Earth” was the tagline for the 1972 Stockholm Conference. 50 years on, the slogan is as relevant as ever – this globe is our sole home, and mankind must protect its limited resources.

The year 2022 is a historic landmark for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the global environmental organization. It marks the 50th anniversary of the institution of UNEP as a result of the Stockholm Conference.

It also occurs simultaneously with the high-level Stockholm+50 global seminar. These occasions act as an opening for the international community to improve teamwork and show the direction in the change towards a more tolerable society.

          (Image – Facebook)

2022 Host Country: Sweden

Every year, World Environment Day is hosted by a new country in which official celebrations take place. The host country for 2022 is Sweden. To honor the 1972 UN Conference on Human Environment, Sweden and Kenya, with support from UNEP and members, coordinated a high-level international meeting – 1“Stockholm+50: a healthy planet for the prosperity of all – our responsibility, our opportunity” – in Stockholm on 2 and 3 June 2022.

Stockholm+50

Five decades after the 1972 Stockholm Conference, the Government of Sweden, with support from the Government of Kenya, hosted Stockholm+50 on 2 and 3 June 2022. This international summit celebrated the 50 years since this main forum and guiding records, most notably the Stockholm Declaration. Stockholm+50 will help as an offering to stimulate effort towards a more sustainable society, including sustainable healing from the COVID-19 pandemic.

5 Means to observe World Environment Day

1 . Build a garden

It’s one of the best World Environment Day celebration ideas. Planting a tree in your backyard. They not only purify the air and give off more oxygen but also cool down the surroundings. A tree in a single-family home can slash air-conditioning demands by up to 50%. 

This way, the amount of power consumption is lowered, waste reduced, and money saved. These reasons are enough to start creating a home garden. You will have another hobby to follow and a lovely place to spend your mornings, afternoons, and the whole day.

2 . Plan a community cleanup

It’s a wonderful way to support nature and give back to your community. Whether you live near a river, beach, or park, there are numerous activities to get engaged in. You can launch beach cleanup, river cleanup, and garbage collection plans to beautify the surroundings. 

Please bring along your friends, neighbors, or volunteers to help you with this worthy goal. Once you decide what to do, you’ll have to begin the activities. Make sure to follow the valid disposal of the collected trash. This drive is surely the best way to attain World Environment Day, building a positive effect on your surroundings.

3 . Reduce, reuse, and recycle

       (Image – Intermilesblog)

The concept of 3Rs is not recent. But how exactly can you reduce, reuse, and recycle? Firstly, minimize purchasing products that come in single-use parcels, like veggies and fruits that come in plastic cartons. Rather, you should buy fresh produce from the market close by. 

Secondly, buy quality products and reuse and fix them before displacing them. You can also share or rent things that you do not use often. Reuse your old clothes to consume less and throw away less, for example, making cloth bags to bring home stuff bought from the market.

Thirdly, recycling can easily be done at home, for example, composting. Stop pouring the leftover food and inedible parts of vegetables into the dustbin. Utilize them to develop nourishing soil by mixing them with the dry leaves in a pit outside the home.

4. Consider carpooling or riding a bicycle

Thankfully, due to the work-from-home culture, people around the world are facilitating the environment by not driving to and from work. With limited vehicles on the road, carbon emissions have been reduced considerably. 

You can also take a step ahead by doing your chores by riding a bicycle or walking to the shops. This mode of transportation will not only save the environment but will also help you stay healthy and fit. You can plan and evaluate carpooling to lessen the emission of fossil fuels.

5. Celebrate virtually

To celebrate World Environment Day online, take it across the world through social media. Scheme out some unique mails to circulate the message of the previous World Environment Day theme, ecosystem repair. Perform an act, compose a song, or write a blog to draw the interest of as many people as you can.

Moreover, you can join one of the many virtual events that are organized on this day. Various clubs host worldwide events, including film screenings, lectures, and live chats from green-minded leaders. 

These occasions are intended with the motive of generating awareness about environmental sustainability. You can also create your virtual setting on social media and talk to people from across the world.

          (Image – Redbubble)

Let’s promise to devote this day every day and embrace environment-friendly habits. Regard this day as a trigger for transition, and begin taking action now. Nature has bestowed us so much it is high time we initiate repaying. Remember, even a small positive stride can deliver impressive outcomes.

               *********************”

-Shashi Thakur

#OnlyOneEarth Anthem 2022 by Indian Artists

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