World Environment Day is celebrated every year on 5th June. The United Nations instituted this day. It aims to reduce the interference of human activities with the environment.
History of World Environment Day
World Environment Day was established in 1972 by the United Nations during the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. The event was a result of discussions on the impact of human interactions on our environment. The first-ever Environment Day was held in 1974 in the city of Spokane, USA. The theme for that year was ‘Only One Earth’, and ever since, every year, this day has been celebrated with a particular environmental theme. This day is hosted by a different country every year. The idea to select different host countries started in 1987.
Interestingly, this year will be the 50th celebration of World Environment Day. Thus, the theme for 2022 5th of June, World Environment Day, will be the same as it was 50 years ago, ‘Only One Earth.’
Why is World Environment Day Celebrated?
This day is celebrated for raising awareness about our environment. Moreover, it aims to prevent damage to the environment through human activities and protect the Earth. 5th June World Environment Day serves as a reminder for taking different steps and adopting various ways to safeguard the environment.
For instance, Global Warming is a serious problem that needs to be tackled right away. It is one of the major causes of environmental damage. Therefore, it is our duty to prevent global warming and protect our environment.
Similarly, our day-to-day activities, like the use of plastic, that result in various types of pollution and exploitation and destruction of the planet must be stopped. Thus, the focus of World Environment Day is to restore our ecosystem.
To restore our planet, we must find ways to prevent, halt and reverse the damage that has been done. It is time to stop exploiting the Earth and start healing it. With healthy ecosystems, we can also improve people’s livelihood and stop our biodiversity from collapsing. All in all, this day helps us take steps to make our Earth a better place for future generations.
How is 5th June, World Environment Day Celebrated?
On this day, around 143 countries participate to ensure that the world is a greener and cleaner place. Different campaigns are held for spreading awareness about the various types of pollution and their impact.
Different types of organisations worldwide join hands on this day to take steps to enhance our future. For instance, schools encourage students to plant more trees and keep their surroundings clean. Offices encourage their employees to carpool or take public transport to reduce pollution.
Even though these steps may seem small, they create a massive impact on our environment and help improve its condition.
Similarly, government organisations and world leaders pledge to save the environment. They adopt various policies and implement stricter laws for protecting the environment, like controlling/stopping the use of plastic, promoting the use of public transportation, waste segregation, etc. Many campaigns are held all over where trees are planted. This helps in curbing pollution.
Moreover, each annual World Environment Day is celebrated according to a specific theme. Various slogans are created in accordance with the theme to make the campaign a success worldwide. When people become aware of the dangers, they can work better to reduce pollution and save the environment.
Conclusion
To sum it up, World Environment Day helps make people aware of the problems our environment is facing and what we can do to combat them. It is very beneficial in reducing pollution and preventing the scarcity of non-renewable resources. It teaches people of all walks of life different steps they can adopt, like avoiding plastic, planting more trees, recycling, saving water, and protecting our wildlife and animals. We must become conscious of our activities because time is of the essence now. This is a crucial time when we can try and reverse the damage done to our planet before it is too late.