World Environment Day on June 5:

Raise your voice, not the sea level

By Husna Inayathullah

World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated every year on June 5 to raise global awareness to take positive environmental action to protect nature and the planet Earth. It is run by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

The World Environment Day celebration began in 1972 and has grown to become one of the main vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and encourages political attention and action. The first World Environment Day was celebrated in 1973. Since then it is hosted every year by a different city with a different theme.

Through World Environment Day, the United Nations Environment Programme is able to personalise environmental issues and enable everyone to realise not only their responsibility, but also their power to become agents for change in support of sustainable and equitable development.

Through WED, UNEP enables everyone realise not only the responsibility to care for the Earth, but also reminds one and all of their individual power to become agents of change. Every action counts, and when multiplied by a global chorus, becomes exponential in its impact.

Campaigns

WED is a big occasion, engaging millions across the globe through events on the ground in over 70 countries. Every year, participants, young and old, organise clean up campaigns, art exhibits, tree-planting drives, concerts, dance recitals, recycling drives, social media campaigns and different contests themed around caring for the planet.

The United Nations Environment Programme announced that the theme of this year’s World Environment Day will be small island developing states or “SIDS.” Island nations around the world are particularly vulnerable to climate change, natural disasters and rising seas. However, they have also come up with some amazing solutions to cope with these problems.

This year aims to raise awareness about the impact of climate change on small islands states around the world. There’s also much to be learned from these countries, which have overcome a number of environmental problems with only limited resources.

Over the years it has grown to be a broad, global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated by stakeholders in over 100 countries. It also serves as the ‘people’s day’ for doing something positive for the environment, galvanising individual actions into a collective power that generates an exponential positive impact on the planet.

Crisis

Climate change is the single biggest environmental and humanitarian crisis of our time. The Earth’s atmosphere is overloaded with heat-trapping carbon dioxide, which threatens large-scale disruptions in climate with disastrous consequences.

Climate change will have a significant impact on the sustainability of water supplies in the coming decades. A new analysis, performed by consulting firm Tetra Tech for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), examined the effects of global warming on water supply and demand in the contiguous United States.

The study found that more than 1,100 counties - one-third of all counties in the lower 48 will face higher risks of water shortages by mid-century as the result of global warming. More than 400 of these counties will face extremely high risks of water shortages.

Arid land contrast with melting ice

Climate change is changing our economy, health and communities in diverse ways. Scientists warn that if we do not aggressively curb climate change now, the results will likely be disastrous.

Carbon dioxide and other global warming pollutants are collecting in the atmosphere like a thickening blanket, trapping the sun’s heat and causing the planet to warm up.

Although local temperatures fluctuate naturally, over the past 50 years the average global temperature has increased at the fastest rate in recorded history. Scientists say that unless we curb the emissions that cause climate change, average U.S. temperatures could be 3 to 9 degrees higher by the end of the century.

Climate change is a complex phenomenon. Its impacts are hard to predict far in advance. Each year scientists learn more about how climate change is affecting the planet and our communities. Most of them agree that certain consequences are likely to occur if current trends continue.

E nergy supply

In addition to impacting our water resources, energy supply, transportation, agriculture and ecosystems, the United States Global Change Research Program concludes that climate change also poses unique challenges to human health, such as:

Significant increases in the risk of illness and death related to extreme heat and heat waves are very likely.

Some diseases transmitted by food, water, and insects are likely to increase.

Certain groups, including children, the elderly, and the poor, are most vulnerable to a range of climate-related health effects.

These impacts will result in significant costs to our families and the economy.

In support of the UN designation of 2014 as the International Year of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), WED this year will adopt SIDS in the broader context of climate change as its theme. The objectives are to help build momentum towards the Third International Conference on SIDS in September and encourage a greater understanding of the importance of SIDS and of the urgency to help protect the islands in the face of growing risks and vulnerabilities, particularly as a result of climate change. WED will be an excellent opportunity to raise a call for solidarity with the islands.

Celebrations

Barbados, a Caribbean island at the cutting edge of the fight against climate change, will host this year’s World Environment Day (WED) global celebrations on 5 June 2014, according to a joint announcement made by the government of Barbados and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Barbados, a 430-square kilometre nation with a population of 270,000, is considered to be highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, from agricultural impacts to the destruction of its coastal ecosystems.

However, this small nation has taken big steps to reduce its climate impact and to provide clean, renewable energy as well as opportunities for green economic growth to its people.

Among other things, Barbados has pledged to increase the share of renewable energy across the island to 29 percent of all electricity consumption by 2029. This would cut total electricity costs by an estimated USD 283.5 million and reduce CO2 emissions by 4.5 million tonnes, according to the government.

Levels

Climate change is a major challenge for SIDS, as global warming is causing ocean levels to rise. Due to their small size and isolation, SIDS are more vulnerable to natural and environmental disasters, climate change and sea-level rise. However, these islands have also been successful in overcoming their environmental problems. From Palau to Puerto Rico, the stories of resiliency and innovation abound.

From Trinidad and Tobago to Tonga, Samoa to Suriname, the problems that these small islands face are climate change, waste management, unsustainable consumption, degradation of natural resources, extreme natural disasters in the midst of overpopulation and continuing industrialisation.

World Environment Day is an annual event that is aimed at being the biggest and most widely celebrated global day for positive environmental action. World Environment Day activities take place all year round and climax on June 5 every year, involving everyone from everywhere.

The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) has decided to ban the tooting of vehicle horns on Thursday, June 5 which coincides with World Environment Day. It is taken as an initial step to reduce sound pollution in the Colombo city.

According to CMC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ruwan Wijayamuni the decibels of sound levels that vehicle horns make would also be inspected on Environment Day when they travel through Colombo.

This is said to be the first awareness program in the city to alert drivers about sound pollution. The Central Environmental Authority (CEA), the Department of Motor Traffic, the Traffic Police and several other state institutions will collaborate with the CMC in initiating this project.

Many organisations both private and government have planned to mark the World Environment Day by organising programs to protect the environment.