WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY

World Environment Day’s primary aim is to raise awareness of environmental issues and the importance of protecting Mother Nature from these issues. Observed on 5th June every year, this day is also called WED, Eco Day or Environment Day. Today, more than 100 countries have embraced the holiday and therefore get involved every year with environmental protection activities.

History of World Environmental Day

On 5th June 1972, the United Nations General Assembly established the World Environment Day during the World Environment Conference held in Stockholm. Two years later, the first World Environmental Day was held in Spokane, USA. Since 1974, the celebrations are held annually with over 140 countries participating in the event with a different host city is chosen every year. The celebrations are weeklong of activities with June 5th crowning the entire observance.

Every year, a World Environmental Day theme is established, and NGOs, governments, major corporations, and celebrities adapt it to address environmental sustainability and related issues. Some of the past topics include human settlements, desertification, Ozone Layer Environmental Concern, Best Plastic Pollution among others.

What Is The Environment Protection Act?

The Environment Protection Act aims at managing waste and controlling harmful emissions into the environment. The Act helps improve the human environment and also prevent hazards to humans and other living things.

In the UK, the Act was passed in 1990 while the Indian parliament enacted the same in 1986.

How is World Environmental Day Celebrated?

Besides the schedules set aside by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), there are many different and personal ways to mark this day.

Instead of using your car to work, opt to walk, bike or use public transport. This should however not be a single day objective but a habit you should form at least thrice a week.

You can also aim at starting a garden or planting a tree on this day. Plants absorb pollutant gases and filter other pollutants out of the air by trapping them on the leaves. Trees can cut down on summer air conditioning up to 50 percent hence reducing the energy required to cool your house. When energy demands in your home are low, it means less environmental pollution emissions from power plants and this makes the ecological air cleaner and safer.

Another great way to mark this day is by participating in World Environmental Day activities that could be happening near you. Some towns conduct street rallies, tree planting and clean up parades. These campaigns help in raising awareness for sustainable development, cleaning up pollution, encouraging recycling or fighting global warming. Some schools celebrate this day by holding World Environmental Day essay competitions where students get to have a better understanding of environmental conservation and protection.

If you have a recycling program in your area, take the initiative to recycle your trash. Be sure to separate it into paper, aluminum, glass, and plastic. If there is no such program where you stay, take the initiative to start one.

Why Celebrate World Environmental Day?

So, why should you get your hands dirty? What is the importance of World Environmental Day?

Given our busy schedules, we quickly forget natural systems and how much Mother Nature supports our well being. World Environmental Day is the best time to reconnect with nature and celebrate its vital relationship.

Through World Environmental Day, more and more people get to understand the importance of managing natural resources and ecosystems. It is unfortunate that our surroundings have become an overhaul of contaminants and toxins which are a threat to our respiratory health.

WED is a time to inspire others to take action and do something positive for the environment we cannot do without. However, before you embark on teaching others on the fragile nature of the environment, ensure you are personally taking action towards making the surroundings a better place.

On social media, you can join the world in marking this day by sharing educative environmental posts. The World Environmental Day slogan for the year is also widely circulated to help reach a broad audience. For instance, in 2018, the slogan was If You Can’t Reuse It Refuse It where people were urged to give up one plastic indulgence and instead replace it with a reusable alternative.

World Environmental Day Symbol

The symbol is often the World Environmental Day logo creatively depicting the natural colors of nature. This includes shades of green, brown and blue. Images depicting natural features like mountains, beaches, unpolluted rivers, and natural flora are often used in the World Environmental Day campaigns. It’s however worth noting that there is no single form of the World Environmental Day logo. Every year, UNEP creates a new logo that matches the year’s theme.