What is this event?

For too long, people have treated their planet carelessly and cruelly. As a result, the world suffers from the pollution of natural ecosystems, the destruction of biodiversity and global warming, steadily approaching climate catastrophe. Unfortunately, time cannot be turned back, but we can finally learn to coexist in harmony with our environment to protect what is left and repair what is damaged. In order to promote awareness and encourage practical actions to protect nature, every year on June 5 World Environment Day is an event established by the United Nations and celebrated by millions of people around the world.

How did the idea to celebrate World Environment Day come about?

It has long been widely believed that humanity needs to control, use and “improve” the environment as fully as possible for its well-being and well-being. But in reality, complex natural processes were created as optimal from the very beginning and were adjusted only by the evolution of the planet. So it is not surprising that any disturbance of the natural balance by human technologies leads to negative ecological consequences.

The influence of people on environment lasts many thousands of years – from the time when Homo sapiens as a species of living beings appeared on Earth, he began to change nature through agriculture and large migrations of peoples. However, until the 18th century, manual production and simple technologies were unable to affect the environment on a large scale.

Industrialization quickly led to the intensive use of natural resources, mass industrial production, urbanization and the formation of a consumer society. At today’s stage of history, the influence of people on the surrounding world is so significant that scientists no longer find pristine nature on Earth that has not been mutilated by man to a greater or lesser extent.

Overpopulation of the planet

Many scientists consider overpopulation of the planet to be a rather controversial environmental problem. On the one hand, it is good that thanks to the development of medicine and industrial agriculture, people began to live longer. However, they need more and more living space, including for agricultural land and industrial enterprises, and this leads to constant deforestation. Another aspect of overpopulation is humanity’s use of more and more fossil fuels, such as oil and coal. Such energy sources mean large emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, while the number of forests is no longer enough for natural air filtration.

Environmental pollution

Environmental pollution has long become a problem in any corner of the world. From trash carelessly dumped on the side of the road to millions of tons of dangerous chemicals in the water, soil and air. A third of the world’s population already has difficulties with drinking water, but we continue to devalue our irreplaceable natural resources, which will take millions of years to recover.

Global warming

Scientists consider global warming to be the most serious cause of negative changes in the environment. Increase in CO emissions₂ contributed to an increase in the average temperature on the planet by almost a degree, the melting of Arctic glaciers and an increase in the level of the ocean by 3.42 mm per year. Scientists predict a rise in the level of the ocean, according to various calculations, from 3 to 12 meters by the year 2100.

CO₂ it also increases the acidity of seawater, as a result of which its chemical composition changes, and together with global warming, this is the cause of the death of coral reefs, a quarter of which have already been destroyed, and two-thirds are under threat. At the same time, coral reefs are home to 25% of aquatic organisms that are responsible for natural water filtration. In addition, overfishing and water pollution with plastic also lead to irreparable damage to the world’s oceans.

As the atmospheric temperature rises, the weather conditions also change dramatically, which leads to climate changes on a global scale. Many fertile regions are gradually turning into waterless deserts, strong hurricanes and other natural phenomena, which were previously not characteristic of this or that area, have to be observed more and more often.

A problem that has no borders

Since the 1960s, it has become impossible to ignore environmental problems, so many countries have begun to take measures to protect the environment within their territories. However, soon everyone realized that water and air pollution knows no borders, and international cooperation is necessary to solve these problems.

The idea of ​​a world forum on environmental issues originated in Sweden, which was concerned about the state of the environment, especially in the form of acid rain. Therefore, in 1968, the UN received a proposal from this state to hold an international conference to determine the problems of the natural environment and ways to overcome them.

The date of the convening of the UN Conference on Environmental Problems was 1972, and the place of its holding was Stockholm. The event was held from June 5 to 16, and the opening day was declared World Environment Day. Representatives of 113 countries and 400 non-governmental organizations took part in the conference, it was chaired by UN Deputy Secretary General Maurice Strong, a Canadian diplomat and businessman in the oil and mining industry.

As a result, the delegates adopted an action plan and several resolutions, and the final declaration of the Stockholm Conference became an environmental manifesto that declared the limited resources of the planet and the need to preserve them. Also, this conference led to the creation in December 1972 of the United Nations Environment Program – UNEP.

World Environment Day in history

• 1968

  Sweden offered to organize an international conference devoted to the problems of global ecology.
• 1972
  June 5

  In honor of the opening of the Stockholm Conference, the UN General Assembly announced the establishment of World Environment Day.
• 1974

  The first World Environment Day on the theme “Only One Earth” has passed. Since then, the event has been celebrated every year.
• 1987

  A tradition has begun to choose different countries as the center of official events for World Environment Day every year.
• 2000

  UNEP has launched a World Environment Day website to make it easy to register environmental activities and build a sense of global unity in this cause.
• 2021
  February 22

  It has been announced that Pakistan will host World Environment Day 2021 with the participation of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

Frequent Questions and answers on World Environment Day

How to celebrate World Environment Day?

In order to join the progressive humanity, on this day each of us should start changing our daily habits — pay more attention to energy conservation, give preference to local farm food products. If possible, leave the car at home and walk or cycle to work.

Plastic waste — a separate topic, especially relevant for Ukraine, where plastic bags and disposable bottles pollute the natural environment at a rapid pace. Even if it is not possible to completely abandon plastic, you should limit its use as much as possible, buying only those goods that are really necessary.

If we cannot directly oppose global deforestation, then every person has the opportunity to plant at least one tree. It is also important to reduce the use of paper, hand in waste paper and avoid products with palm oil – its production is one of the causes of deforestation.

Another way to celebrate World Environment Day — to go out to clean the surrounding area, forest, park or beach. You can join other activists or organize your own group of friends and acquaintances. In addition, such actions immediately give visible results, demonstrating our capabilities in the fight for the preservation of the environment.

Why is this day important?

In our time, humanity has become so accustomed to information about environmental problems that the sense of danger seems to have dulled. World Environment Day reminds us all that we are part of nature and completely dependent on it. Nature is definitely stronger than man, so its revenge can become a sentence for the existence of people.

It often seems to us that the problems of the state of nature are something very global and the efforts of one person will not change anything anyway. But it should be understood that everyone’s personal impact on the environment ultimately makes up the overall picture. A large number of specific facts supported by numbers provided by various environmental organizations helps to realize this. Therefore, World Environment Day is important primarily for raising people’s awareness of the vulnerability and irreplaceability of nature, as well as the role of each person in the life process of the planet.

In addition, it is extremely important that this day encourages us to take concrete actions – organized actions against the destruction of the environment, collecting funds for restoration projects, freeing the nearest space from garbage, changing everyday habits. For many of us, June 5 is the beginning of a new phase in life and the rejection of excessive consumption in favor of the environment.

When will we celebrate World Environment Day??