Get ready! June 5, 2022 is World Environment Day! It is a day dedicated to spreading worldwide awareness and encouraging action to protect our environment. Environmental organizations and people all over the world will be celebrating the day by hosting events that address the environmental issues facing our planet.
World Environment Day has been held every June 5th since 1974 and is sponsored by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The UNEP’s mission is to deliver transformational change for people and nature by focusing on three planetary crises: (1) climate change, (2) nature and biodiversity loss, and (3) pollution and waste. The goal of this event is to raise awareness and get people motivated to take action to help heal our environment.
Typically, World Environment Day has a new, unique theme each year that focuses on key environmental issues. The theme for 2022 is “Only One Earth,” which emphasizes living sustainably and working with nature instead of against it. The slogan “Only One Earth” was used in 1972 for the first United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm Sweden. Fast-forward 50 years to today, Sweden will be hosting World Environment Day with the slogan “Only One Earth” again. The theme emphasizes the importance of swift action to save our planet. “Today as we look to a present and a future of heatwaves, droughts, floods, wildfires, pandemics, dirty air, and plastic-ridden oceans…action is more important than ever,” said UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen. In honor of World Environment Day, here are some fun activities that you might like to try with your family or friends:
- Create a family plan to heal the earth. Ask everyone who lives in your house to brainstorm ways to heal the environment. For example, save water by taking shorter showers; unplug appliances that are not being used; start using reusable shopping bags instead of plastic; make sure you are recycling all paper, plastic, aluminum, and glass responsibly; switch off lights when not needed.
- Participate in park or beach cleanups (or create your own!). You can participate in an organized cleanup in your area or make your own cleanup. Ensure you have bags or buckets to carry your trash and thick gloves for picking up any trash or cigarette butts that have not been discarded appropriately.
- Plant a tree! Why are trees so important to the environment? Trees absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen back into the air; trees provide both homes and food for local wildlife, like birds, squirrels, and insects; trees filter dust from the air, which improves air quality; trees prevent flooding and soil erosion.
- Consider clothing. On average every year, over three million tons of used clothes are incinerated, and a staggering 10 million tons get sent to landfills. Get members of your household together and discuss ways you can limit clothing waste. For example, buying second-hand clothing rather than new; looking for new clothing made with “recycled” materials; donating your old clothing, or selling to a consignment store.
Earth Numbers
- 17.9 billion – the number of tons of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere globally this year
- 311 billion – the number of tons of melted ice globally this year
- 26.9 cm – the rise in sea levels in the world’s oceans since 1900
- 6,306 – the number of endangered species threatened with extinction in 2021
- 28 – the percent of species in critical risk of extinction
- 2.12 billion – the number of tons of waste dumped globally each year
- 166 billion – the number of tons of hazardous waste produced globally this year
Whether planting a tree or donating clothes, there are a number of ways to get involved in World Environment Day. And you don’t have to wait till the next World Environment Day to do your part in healing our planet. You can make choices everyday that lessen your environmental impact on our planet. Recycling, shopping locally, avoiding disposable plastics, etc. can help you lead a more sustainable life.
Citations
United Nations. (n.d.). Climate change – united nations sustainable development. United Nations. Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/climate-change/
Andersen, I. (n.d.). Inger Andersen’s message for World Environment Day 2022. UNEP. Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/video/inger-andersens-message-world-environment-day-2022
Five Decades in, World Environment Day continues to shape a global movement. UNEP. (n.d.). Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/five-decades-world-environment-day-continues-shape-global-movement?fbclid=IwAR3Z93gRZ4H2wK1nvNz8FbCSxQs1ERG56yesRNbGp7KXcz3aS4B4fZBZAPQ
World Environment Day activities for Kids. Persil. (n.d.). Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://www.persil.com/uk/sustainability/sustainability-for-kids/world-environment-day-activities-for-kids.html
More trees please; the importance of planting trees. Host. (2020, June 5). Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://host-students.com/the-importance-of-planting-trees/
What really happens to unwanted clothes? Green America. (n.d.). Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://www.greenamerica.org/unraveling-fashion-industry/what-really-happens-unwanted-clothes
Climate Change. The world counts. (n.d.). Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/climate-change
Craig Kasnoff. (n.d.). Promoting the plight of endangered species and the efforts to save them. Endangered Earth. Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://www.endangeredearth.com/
Extinction of Species. The world counts. (n.d.). Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/extinction
Tons of Waste Dumped. The world counts. (n.d.). Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/planet-earth/state-of-the-planet/world-waste-facts/storyToxic Exposure . The world counts. (n.d.). Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/toxic-exposures
Written by Ivy Schiro
June 6, 2022
