Story: World environment day, and its importance; 05-06-2022;
• World Environment Day (WED) is also known as Eco Day, Environment Day.
• We need to care about healthy environment to preserve life, prevent catastrophes and potential extinction of many species and even humans from the planet.
The very first world environment Day was celebrated with the theme “only one earth.” World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated annually on 5 June.
The main objective behind the observation of Environment day is spreading awareness and encouraging actions for the protection of the environment.
The very first world environmental Day was observed in 1974 while it was established in 1972, just 48 years ago by the United Nations at the Stockholm conference of human environment, held between 5 and 16 June 1972. This conference was resulted in the formation of the day.
The WED is a globally recognized Day, and is participated by over 143 countries annually.
India hosted 2011 WED, for the first time with the theme- 'Forests – Nature At Your Service', the global community took part with initiatives and programs like beach clean-ups, concerts, exhibits, film festivals, community events, tree plantings etc.
This year WED is hosted by Sweden and the theme is “Only One Earth”.
The day focuses on spreading awareness on environmental more broadly the issues including Marine pollution, overpopulation, global warming, sustainable consumption, crime against wildlife.
• Wildlife, Marine life and forests, plays a huge role in maintaining the life and ecosystem on the planet, and are vital part of the earth ecosystem. In order to preserve liveable conditions for humans and other life on the planet, we have to protect our environment.
• Rapid environmental changes typically cause mass extinctions. More than 99.9% of all species that ever lived on Earth, amounting to over five billion species, are estimated to be extinct.
•Due to human exploitation of nature and its limited resources, the earth is suffering from various existential issues which may result in catastrophes and extinction of wild, sea, and even humans.
Such dangers include Global warming or Climate Change, Deforestation and Forest Degradation, Illegal Wildlife Trade, Illegal Fishing, Bycatch (unknowingly tangling unwanted marine life which cannot be sold, or are not allowed to keep, such as turtles, dolphins, sharks, whales), overfishing.
• Greater threat is being presented to environment by humans in shape of Infrastructure development, carbon emission, pollution, plastic waste, water scarcity, illegal poaching, etc, all have played their role in worsening and endangoring the earth environment.