World Environment Day 2023: History, Significance, Theme, and Quotes
World Environment Day 2023: History, Significance, Theme, and Quotes
| Table of Contents 1. World Environment Day 2023 1.1 Facts to learn about the environment on World Environment Day 1.2 World Environment Day History & Significance 1.3 What Is The Environment Protection Act? 1.4 Why Celebrate World Environmental Day? 1.5 Who created the World Environment Day anthem? 1.6 How is World Environmental Day Celebrated? 1.7 World Environmental Day Symbol |
World Environment Day 2023: Every Year 5 June is celebrated as World Environment Day (WED) to encourage awareness of protecting the earth and the environment. This year 2023 will mark the 51st year of observing environment day and will be celebrated with a new theme and enthusiasm.
Each year, world environment day is hosted by different cities but attracts the attention of people from all over the world. A theme is decided every year to celebrate the day and people are encouraged to take a step forward toward the preservation of the environment.
Facts to learn about the environment on World Environment Day
1. On June 5, 1973, the first World Environment Day was celebrated.
2. World Environment Day has its own anthem created in New Delhi, India in 2013.
3. More than 100 countries are involved in the public outreach holiday.
4. Reducing food wastage can help control global carbon emissions by 14%.
5. A resolution creating the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was also passed on June 5, 1972, by the UN General assembly.
6. According to the report provided by the UN, with the current rate of population growth and consumption, three planets will be needed for sustenance by 2050.
World Environment Day History & Significance
In 1972, at the Stockholm conference on the Human Environment which was held from 5 to 16 June, the united nations held discussions on the effect of human actions on the environment and steps needed for the betterment of the situation. It was finally decided that 5 June of every year will be observed as World Environment Day and the first World Environment Day was celebrated in 1973 with “Only One Earth” as their theme.
The main goal towards observing World Environment Day is to raise awareness of the issues like marine pollution, plastic pollution, air pollution, overpopulation, sustainable consumption, global warming, sustainable development, food security, and illegal wildlife trade.
What Is The Environment Protection Act?
The Environment Protection Act aims at managing waste and controlling harmful emissions into the environment. The Act helps improve the human environment and also prevents hazards to humans and other living things.
In the UK, the Act was passed in 1990 while the Indian parliament enacted the same in 1986.
Why Celebrate World Environmental Day?
So, why should you get your hands dirty? What is the importance of World Environmental Day?
Given our busy schedules, we quickly forget natural systems and how much Mother Nature supports our well-being. World Environmental Day is the best time to reconnect with nature and celebrate its vital relationship.
Through World Environmental Day, more and more people get to understand the importance of managing natural resources and ecosystems. It is unfortunate that our surroundings have become an overhaul of contaminants and toxins which are a threat to our respiratory health.
WED is a time to inspire others to take action and do something positive for the environment we cannot do without. However, before you embark on teaching others about the fragile nature of the environment, ensure you are personally taking action towards making the surroundings a better place.
On social media, you can join the world in marking this day by sharing educative environmental posts. The World Environmental Day slogan for the year is also widely circulated to help reach a broad audience. For instance, in 2018, the slogan was If You Can’t Reuse It Refuse It where people were urged to give up one plastic indulgence and instead replace it with a reusable alternative.
Who created the World Environment Day anthem?
World Environment Day anthem was launched in June 2013 and was created by Kapil Sibal and Shashi Tharoor, The Union Ministers of India, at the Indians council of cultural relation New Delhi.
How is World Environmental Day Celebrated?
Besides the schedules set aside by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), there are many different and personal ways to mark this day.
Instead of using your car to work, opt to walk, bike, or use public transport. This should however not be a single-day objective but a habit you should form at least thrice a week.
You can also aim at starting a garden or planting a tree on this day. Plants absorb pollutant gases and filter other pollutants out of the air by trapping them on the leaves. Trees can cut down on summer air conditioning by up to 50 percent hence reducing the energy required to cool your house. When energy demands in your home are low, it means less environmental pollution emissions from power plants and this makes the ecological air cleaner and safer.
Another great way to mark this day is by participating in World Environmental Day activities that could be happening near you. Some towns conduct street rallies, tree planting, and clean-up parades. These campaigns help in raising awareness for sustainable development, cleaning up pollution, encouraging recycling, and fighting global warming. Some schools celebrate this day by holding World Environmental Day essay competitions where students get to have a better understanding of environmental conservation and protection.
If you have a recycling program in your area, take the initiative to recycle your trash. Be sure to separate it into paper, aluminum, glass, and plastic. If there is no such program where you stay, take the initiative to start one.
World Environmental Day Symbol
The symbol is often the World Environmental Day logo creatively depicting the natural colors of nature. This includes shades of green, brown, and blue. Images depicting natural features like mountains, beaches, unpolluted rivers, and natural flora are often used in World Environmental Day campaigns. It’s however worth noting that there is no single form of the World Environmental Day logo. Every year, UNEP creates a new logo that matches the year’s theme.
