World Environment Day, hosted by Colombia this 2020, in partnership with Germany is the most renowned day for environmental action. Since 1974, it has been celebrated every year on 5 June. The day engages governments, businesses, celebrities and citizens to focus their efforts on a pressing environmental issue. The foods we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink, the sun rays that reach us and the climate that makes our planet habitable all come from nature. Henceforth, it is important that they are respected, their values understood.
The last year’s World Environment Day 2019 theme was “Beat Air Pollution” and the host was China. Air pollution is one of the major causes of Global Warming, due to which many hazardous Consequences are arising. The problem is we have reached a point where people are not able to breathe properly.
Moreover, disease like lung cancer is affecting even the minors. People living in urban areas are more prone to such diseases. To reduce the risk of air pollution China is establishing various air purifiers in their ecosystem. With the help of these, people are at least getting pollution-free air to breathe. The same concept has entered Indian markets as well. In addition, china has also started taking mandatory measures like population reduction, banning the use of plastic, and planting trees in every community. This can help to avert the ruining of the environment caused in the past years.
This year, the theme of the World Environment Day 2020 is “Biodiversity–a concern that is both urgent and existential.” We cannot exist on this plant alone. We need flora and fauna around us for our survival. Biodiversity involves 8 million plant and animal species, the ecosystems that house them, and the genetic diversity among them.
- Multiple ways in which our beauty regimes can affect the environment.
Your Sunscreen IS killing the Coral Reefs
One of the most common ingredients used in most of the sunscreens is Oxybenzone. We expose the underwater ecosystem to this chemical, when we swim in the ocean after applying sunscreen. It damages the DNA of coral reefs and also affects the reproduction and growth of the new corals. Notably, coral reefs are habitat for an array of marine organisms and they are also the source of food for millions. However, In the last 150 years, the live coral reef cover has been reduced by half.
Wet wipes are polluting water and harming the marine life
Wet wipes are widely used everywhere. Most of the wet wipes are non-biodegradable and easily flush-able. These are made of synthetic fibers. They clog the landfill sites and block the sewage system after being flushed leading to their overflow in the rivers and oceans. After they reach these water bodies, sea creators ingest them and as a result, die. Also, a large number of wet wipes are washed up on the beaches causing pollution.
Commonly Used Personal Care Products Are Causing Mass Deforestation
Personal care products including shampoos, toothpastes, and face washes are prepared using an ingredient called sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). This is what creates foams and gives you a clean face, hair, teeth, and creamy-textured lipsticks. To get this raw material, manufacturers need palm oil, and to extract that, mass deforestation occurs. During this process, we do not only affect the level the oxygen in the atmosphere but also destroy the habitat of endangered animals.
The problem of food waste and its environmental impact
I once read an article about food and waste. It said: “About 1/3 of all food produced for human consumption is wasted — for shame!” So right – for shame!! I couldn’t believe the number: 1/3 of all food is wasted! That means one out of three apples, one out of three kilos of rice, one out of three breads. Also countless of animals have to suffer for nothing. N.O.T.H.I.N.G.
It shocks me, that we are not capable to produce and consume in a way that is more respectful to life itself. What’s even worse, is that millions of people still die from hunger at the same time. Nature is being destroyed irrevocably from our mass production. You don’t have to be a genius to see that our food system is messed up. We have to find better ways to fix the problem because there could be enough food for all of us, even if we produced less food.
Moving away from mass production and focusing on local, efficient production and consumption of food, a lot of good changes could be achieved. The food would be of higher quality. There would be less antibiotics in meat and diary, less pesticides and less genetically manipulated products. This is not only better for us but also more sensible for the countless animals in factory farms.
How can we protect our mother earth?
- Stop eating meat. It is the number one climate killer. Eating little or no meat will save water (2500 gallons of water per one pound of beef), save the rainforest from being cut down for plantations that will feed the factory farm animals. It will benefit your health and stop suffering of animals in the mass production.
- Choose more local, organic and seasonal food. This will reduce unnecessary transportation ways, keep the environment cleaner and your body healthier.
- Buy only as much as you will eat. This will help to reduce waste and the over-production of food which will save natural resources and habitats. It will also save you money.
- Use environmental friendly cleaning/household products. You find them in regular stores and they are not even expensive. They won’t pollute the water with toxins.
- Recycle and use recycled products
- Use your cell phone less. A new study has directly linked cell phones to the mass extinction of bees. Bees are critical to our food production since they are responsible for pollinating plants.
- Plant a tree. Trees clean our air and create oxygen. This is a great way to compensate for the pollution of our environment.
It has also been predicted that Within the next 10 years, one out of every four known species may get wiped off the planet. The biodiversity loss will have a massive impact on our food and medicine supply, which is scary. Henceforth, we really need to Start changing our habits and make them environment friendly. We need to Be pro-environment, pro-energy conservation and pro-nature. We should also make environmentally conscious choices at the same time. Let’s Pledge for a cleaner, safer and sustainable planet this world environment day.
As rightly quoted by Henry David Thoreau, Familiar Letters “What is the use of a house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on?”
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