World environment day 2021
World Environment Day – Overview
World Environment Day is observed on 5th June annually. It is the United Nation's idea for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the protection of our environment. Here we are giving some interesting facts about World Environment Day.
- World Environment Day was designated by the UN General Assembly in 1972 on the first day of United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, resultant from negotiations on the integration of human interactions and the environment.
- Then in 1974, the first World Environment Day was held with the theme “Only One Earth”.
- Initially, it was started as a flagship campaign for raising awareness on budding environmental issues from marine pollution and global warming, to sustainable consumption and wildlife crime.
- The aim of this day is to encourage people worldwide to take care of the Earth or become an agent of change.
- World Environment Day has grown to become a global platform for public outreach, with participation from over 143 countries annually.
World Environment Day Anthem
- It was composed by poet Abhay K, an Indian diplomat.
- It was recorded in eight languages containing all official languages of the United Nations- Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
- It is also recorded in Hindi and Nepali.
- It was launched in the event of the World Environment Day 2013.
- It is supported by the global organization Habitat for Humanity.
| Year | Hosts | Theme |
| 1974 | United States | ‘Only one Earth’ during Expo ’74 |
| 2011 | India | Forests: Nature at your Service |
| 2018 | India | Beat Plastic Pollution |
Theme
This year, the theme of World Environment Day is "Reimagine. Recreate. Restore.". The global host for the day in 2021 to highlight the importance of ecosystem restoration is Pakistan.
India on World Environment Day
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in a World Environment Day event at 11 am via video conferencing, according to his office.
- Modi will release 'Report of the Expert Committee on Road Map for ethanol blending in India 2020-2025'.
- To commemorate the day, the government is releasing E-20 notification directing oil companies to sell ethanol-blended petrol with percentage of ethanol up to 20 from April 1, 2023; and BIS specifications for higher ethanol blends E12 and E15.
- According to a report of market research firm UnearthInsight, the carbon emission by the Indian IT outsourcing industry has dropped by about 85 per cent to around 0.3 million tonnes due to reduced travelling, work from home and online hiring process during the Covis-19 lockdowns.
- In Uttarakhand, the state's forest department on the eve of World Environment Day released a list of 1,576 plant species conserved, including the ones that are unique to the Himalayan region. Apart from the plant species that are unique or endemic to the Himalayan region, the list also includes those species declared threatened' in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.
- Apart from these, numerous Members of Parliament across parties have pledged to go vegan for the day -- by forgoing meat, dairy, and other animal-derived food to raise awareness.
- In a study in the journal Nature, it is found that greenhouse gas emissions from food systems would be reduced by half if the world turned to a mainly plant-based diet. Researchers at the University of Oxford also found that every person who goes vegan lowers their carbon footprint by up to 73 per cent and saves nearly 200 animals per year.
COVID EFFECT ON ENVIRONMENT
- Even though the lock downs helped the environment to breathe better air quality for a while, but according to the Central Pollution Control Board, India has produced 45,308 tonnes of biomedical waste between June 2020 and May 10, 2021, an average daily generation of 132 tonnes of Covid-19 related waste.
- This is in addition to the 615 tonnes of biomedical waste a day being produced before Covid-19, amounting to a 17 per cent increase in biomedical waste generation solely because of the pandemic.
- Notwithstanding the unprecedented health and environmental crisis, the experts said there are ways to minimise the damage.
- To begin with, Singh said individuals needed to consciously reduce their plastic footprint, with the help of a comprehensive strategy and a comprehensive roadmap.
Post a Comment