Celebrating this World Environment Day

Since its conception in 1973, World Environment Day has been celebrated annually worldwide every June 5th, led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

An important Date

The year preceding the first celebration of World Environment Day marked the first global conference on the environment. The United Nations Conference on the Environment, held in 1972 in Stockholm, Sweden, also paved the way for the creation of the UNEP. Half a century later, this year’s World Environment Day will be held in Stockholm.  

The planet needs us.

 We are in a more dire situation than ever before. The current state of affairs is best summed up as “Emergency mode,” a phrase familiar to many scientists and policymakers. Increasingly more fauna and animals are being endangered; natural disasters are intensifying; extreme temperatures are becoming the norm. A recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) revealed that there is a 50 percent chance we will exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius (the target of the Paris Agreement) above pre-industrial levels in the next 5 years. Against this backdrop, this year’s theme is #OnlyOneEarth, centered on the coexistence of man and nature. 

Did you know that it is possible to limit your waste to just one 16 ounce mason jar? Take it from Lauren Singer, who revealed she kept three years worth of trash in this one container. Undoubtedly, Singer is a prominent figure in the zero waste movement. While it may seem daunting to limit your waste to this extent, producing less waste is always beneficial, too.

Similarly devoted to environmental issues and living a more conscious life, Anne Marie Bonno cut non-compostable waste out of her life a year earlier than Singer, in 2011. As she states, “We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.” 

 

Resources used:

  1. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/millions-prepare-celebrate-world-environment-day 
  2. https://www.un.org/en/conferences/environment/stockholm1972 
  3. https://nationaltoday.com/world-environment-day/ 
  4. https://www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org/world-environment-day/ 
  5. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/wake-call-humanity-qa-climate-expert-ipcc-report 
  6. https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/life-style/world-environment-day-2022-history-importance-and-why-it-is-celebrated-7952481/ 

written by Defne Ergoz

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