June as World Environment Day
also led to the creation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
First celebrated in 1974, WED has gone on to become the largest global platform
for worldwide action on environmental issues, ranging from preservation of
wildlife and sustainable development to
, marine pollution and
neighborhood cleanliness. The main goal is to help nations across the world
combat a steadily declining environment, and to bring about national and international
environmental policies to address these issues.
‘The World Environment Day 2017 seeks to bring us back to the basics. The theme ‘Connecting People to Nature’ is a siren call to remind ourselves of the beauties and mysteries of nature, and why we have to work to save it.’
The World Environment
Day 2017: Connecting People to Nature
The 2017 WED host
country Canada has chosen as its theme 'Connecting People to Nature', with the
tagline 'I'm #WithNature
', in a drive to bring people back to the lap of nature,
to remind them of the beauties of Mother Earth, and why it is imperative to
save her from gradual decay.
The theme aims to draw
people out of their homes, away from the incessant tirade of modern technology,
and maybe set out on an adventure in their favorite national park. Even the
park around the corner of your house is full of nature's wonders. Taking an
afternoon off to explore the mysteries of the natural eco-system is worth every
bit of it.
The theme this year
promises to be exciting and hopes to help people reconnect with the rich
natural biodiversity around them like never before.
To participate in the
WED 2017 celebrations you can:
- Share pictures of your most
favorite natural spot in the world.
Contribute towards
building what is sure to be a breathtaking experience, as participants around
the world find the one place that makes them happy and share it in the
world's
biggest global nature album.Plan your own event. Be it
a picnic, a hike or a neighborhood cleaning drive, spend the day outdoors,
close to Mother Nature. Invite your friends, family, and loved
ones, and
share your favorite moments of the day with the
world.Discover your own natural habitat. Explore the
unknown in your everyday world, find out the stories hidden in a blade of
grass, or identify a new species of butterfly.
Let the world get acquainted
with your world.
How is India Celebrating
World Environment Day 2017?
India is set to
celebrate WED 2017 with a mammoth waste-management program. In the latest 'Mann
ki Baat', Prime Minister Narendra Modi's customary Sunday radio address to the
nation, PM Modi reminded people of the need to reconnect with nature.
"Whenever you come in contact
with a natural condition, a new spirit emerges from within you. So the global
campaign of connecting with nature on 5
th June should become our
individual campaign as well," he said. "If we shall protect the environment,
our future generations will reap the benefits."
Mr. Modi announced that
color-coded litter bins would soon be installed in 4000 towns across the
country. The drive would aim at separating solid waste from compostable waste,
which would enable recycling of the waste that is collected, into useful
resources like fertilizers. Mr. Modi encouraged citizens to look at waste as
more than mere garbage, so as to ensure a more productive system of
waste-management in the future. He urged fellow-Indians to think of the future,
as that alone can help us leave for our future generations, a clean, healthy
and resourceful environment.
The drive would be
kicked off on Monday, 5th June, 2017, marking India's nation-wide
commitment to the principles of the WED.
PM Modi also referred to
Afroz Shah, a lawyer from Mumbai, and the UN 2016 Champion of the Earth, as an
inspiration to the entire nation. Shah, since 2015, has been a crusader in a
massive clean-up of the filthy Versova Beach in Mumbai. A self-proclaimed ocean
lover, Shah went around knocking on doors, intimating neighbors and fisher-folk
on the growing perils of marine litter, and single-handedly picked up
volunteers, who participated in the colossal project, collecting over 4000 tons
of trash from the beach that stretches over 2.5 Kms.
What is meant by Marine
Litter?
Marine litter, or
debris, is defined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as "any
persistent solid material that is manufactured or processed and directly or
indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, disposed of or abandoned into the
marine environment or the Great Lakes."Waterbodies all over the world, are
filled with debris in the form of plastics, rubber, textiles, metals, paper,
and other decaying items that encroach into the marine environment, mostly through
human agency. Marine debris is at present one of the deadliest forms of
pollution in the world, and, although preventable, is fast becoming a global
environmental and human health threat.
The World Environment
Day is an opportunity to reach out to our natural surroundings and help nurture
the earth that nurtures us every day. It is time to take a
moment and appreciate all that nature has to offer. The WED 2017 seeks to bring
us back to our roots, and reiterate the need to keep our environment healthy.
References :
- World Environment
Day - (http://worldenvironmentday.global/)
- World Environment Day 5 June - (http://www.un.org/en/events/environmentday/)
Source: Medindia
