World Environment Day 2021— it's theme and how you can help

-

World Environment Day is observed annually on 5th June to raise awareness and action about the protection of the environment. It was first observed in 1974. In the present, 143 countries participate in the global platform for public outreach. Each year, a theme or forum is provided to engage governments, businesses and citizens to address the pressing issues that concern the environment.

This year’s theme

This year, the theme is Ecosystem restoration. Ecosystem restoration means helping in the recovery of degraded or destroyed ecosystems. However, it also includes protecting the ecosystems that are still intact. Studies show that every three seconds, the world loses enough forest that can cover a football pitch. Over the last century, 50% of the World’s wetlands have been destroyed. Again, over 50% of the world’s coral reefs have been destroyed. By 2050, it is estimated that this number will be 90%. Ecosystem restoration means putting a pause to this damage and rewinding it to provide a healthier ecosystem. It’s goal is to stop destroying the ecosystems and start healing it instead. This Environment Day is set to kick off UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration that aims to restore hectares of all types of ecosystem. It’s reach is set to be from forests to farmlands and from mountains to the seas. Healthier ecosystems, with richer biodiversity, yield greater benefits such as more fertile soils, bigger yields of timber and fish, and larger stores of greenhouse gases.

How can you help?

The restoration of ecosystems can be assisted by anyone— from big governments and businesses to individual citizens. Here are some ways, you as an individual can help:

  • Taking action such as starting or supporting an on-the-ground restoration project
  • Making smart choices like buying only sustainable products and changing diets
  • Raising your voice in support of ecosystem conservation and restoration

Taking action such as starting or supporting an on-the-ground restoration project

As cliche as it sounds, planting trees can help significantly in preserving the terrestrial ecosystems. Go one step further and take up a leadership role in organising a planting campaign in your community. You can also support organisations that plant trees or volunteer in such programs organised in your locality. Other ways you can help is by feeding the animals that have made your locality as their own home like the stray dogs, cats, pigeons and other birds. You can always keep a water bowl in a convenient place so that this animals and birds can quench their thirst especially in the summer. By doing this, you are protecting the ecosystem of your locality for this animals are as much a part of it as you are.

Making smart choices like buying only sustainable products and changing diets

Almost all products such as clothing, accesories, storage, stationary, food and so on, now have sustainable alternatives. It is high time that we support businesses that provide such alternatives and walk away from the much less environment friendly companies. However, it comes as no shock that sustainable products are more expensive than their harmful counterparts. We must make it our habit to shop sustainably whenever we can. Changing our diet to a vegan or vegetarian diet is good for the environment. At the very least, we must explore and adopt a more environment-friendly way of life even if we do not go full vegan or vegetarian.

Raising your voice in support of ecosystem conservation and restoration

Raising your voice in support of ecosystem conservation and restoration might seem like it won’t make much of a difference. But in this day and age where social media is such a powerful tool, such voices matter a lot. Big brands and even governments care about their image on media— traditional and social. You can take this opportunity to raise your voice. These big names are bound to be pressured to make sustainable efforts to preserve the environment if enough people speak out.

It is everyone’s responsibility to protect the environment that we are part of. It is crucial to preserve all types of ecosystem. No matter how small a part we play, our part is still absolutely necessary.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, commited citizens can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever had.

MARGARET MEAD

Learn more

To learn more about the World Environment Day visit the official site.

WORLDENVIRONMENTDAY.GLOBAL

Read more blogs by me about the environment:

6 ACTIVITIES TO CELEBRATE EARTH DAY AT HOME 
MORE ABOUT THE CREATE FOR EARTH CHALLENGE

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

6 activities to celebrate Earth Day at home🌏

-
Image
Earth day is a celebration of the world we live in. It is a day created to bring awareness to the Earth and nature. It serves as a reminder that we are responsible for the safe-keeping of the planet for the generations to come. In this article you will find many earth day activities to help you play your part in bettering the world. But first let us delve into the significance of Earth Day. Learn more about Earth Day from the official page. When is Earth Day?  Earth Day is celebrated on 22nd April every year. The first Earth Day was celebrated on 22nd April, 1970 following the ravaging oil spill in Santa Barbara in January 1969. Senator Gaylord Nelson was inspired by the student anti-war movement and wanted to infuse the student energy into the emerging consciousness of the public about pollution. He and his co-chair Pete McCloskey recruited an young activist, Denis Hayes, to maximize student support. H
Read more

The Wait

-
Image
  The Wait The month of March: Holding lovely spring's hand,  Creeps ever closer—  The unbearable warmth.       You can't wait,    For the coming season to pass by.    The thought of the dreadful heat,    Makes you sweat anxiously.  The month of April: Warm, humid, Punctuated with tired faces, And garishly bright sunlight.  You wait for a cool breeze,   You pitiable fool!   The wind of the season,   Comes from the burning stars.  The month of May: The ball of fire,  Burns ablaze,  It wants to set everything on fire.    You wait for a storm,   To engulf the fire.    Behold! Momentary relief!    At the cost of a hundred lives.  The month of June: Spent away,  Watching the sky,  For a hint of gray.    Instead there's only,    Blue : bright and unforgiving.    The beautiful colour becomes,    Fuel for nightmares.     The season of waiting,  Waiting and wishing: Desperate wish to survive,  This seemingly unending wait.    The four months,    Here, in this tropical country,    B
Read more

Social Media During The Pandemic

-
Image
Social media As the second wave of the pandemic attacked India, I started to wonder what we'd have done without social media. There was utter chaos in the country owing to the poor management and unpreparedness of the authorities. The oxygen deficiency arised. Absence of vacant beds led patients to run from one hospital to another even when they were so sick they could barely walk. Infection spread everywhere. So many people I know got infected in such a small time frame. I felt so scared and helpless.  Helplessness The influence of friends I felt like crying and complaining all day. But then I remembered, if the authorities have failed us, we should take up the reigns ourselves. I was inspired by some amazing friends who were using social media, their clout and influence to share resources about the pandemic. They shared bed availability status, phone no. of oxygen dealers, food availability and all kinds of help that a good government should have provided.
Read more