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World Environment Day 2009
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World Environment
Day 2009, commemorated each year on 5 June, is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action.
Each year, the event has a host country as well as a theme chosen by the United
Nations Environment Programme, UNEP. “Your Planet Needs You!” is the theme for
2009. Mexico will serve as the host country and Omaha will serve as North
America’s host city.
Many events will take place across the globe for World Environment Day. One such
event is the worldwide showing of a highly anticipated film, HOME, featuring
renowned photographer Yann Arthus- Bertrand. The beautifully made movie will be
shown in more than 100 locations worldwide.
Another anticipated event of the 2009 World Environment Day is the launch of Climate Heroes. This
program highlights people who go above and beyond the “Your Planet Needs You!”
Just a few of the amazing individuals that will be featured include Roz Savage,
who is rowing across the Pacific Ocean, Charles and Sho Scott, who are biking
through Japan and David de Rothschild, who is building a boat out of recycled
plastic that will cross the Pacific.
World Environment Day 2009 in India
India
celebrated World Environment Day on Friday along with other countries.The President's speech on
June 4 indicated that the government was increasingly finding environmental concerns a roadblock in pushing its growth mantra
Minister for environment and forests Jairam Ramesh has just announced that there are huge funds lying with the ministry which he plans to invest in afforestation to green India. It could be a distinctive feature of the new Parliament, heralding a major thrust on environment. But the issue is implementation. Greening India was announced five years ago by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, but nothing much happened.
World Environment Day 2009 Global Events:
UNEP hopes to plant 7 billion trees by the end of 2009 with their UNEP Billion Tree Campaign
A neighborhood clean-up campaign is underway in Kabul
A “Run to the Hills” race takes place in Sarajevo
Sign up to take part in the Campaign against Plastic Bags in Kashmir
Brazil is holding an online campaign
30,000 children are expected to participate in a painting contest in the Republic of Korea
World Environment Day
2008
To keep solutions and the opportunities at the core of agenda for countries,
companies and communities to kick the habit and de-carbonise their economies and
life-styles, the slogan for 2008 has been selected after much deliberations as
“Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy.”
The United Nations urged the world to kick an all-consuming addiction to carbon dioxide and said everyone must take steps to
fight climate change. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said global warming was becoming the defining
issue of the era and will hurt rich and poor alike.
"Our world is in the grip of a dangerous carbon habit," Ban said in a statement
to mark World Environment Day, which is being marked by events around the globe
and hosted by the New Zealand city of Wellington.
"Addiction is a terrible thing. It consumes and controls us, makes us deny
important truths and blinds us to the consequences of our actions," he said in
the speech to reinforce this year's World Environment Day theme of
"CO2 Kick the Habit".
"Whether you are an individual, an organization, a business or a government,
there are many steps you can take to reduce your carbon footprint. It is a
message we all must take to heart," he said.
The World Environment Day will also highlight resources and initiatives that
promote low carbon economies and life-styles, such as improved energy efficiency, alternative energy sources, forest conservation and
eco- friendly consumption.
On this day Prime Ministers, Ministers of Environment and other significant
dignitaries deliver statements and commit themselves to care for the Earth.
Serious pledges are made to lead the establishment of permanent governmental
structures dealing with environmental management and economic planning. |
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World Environment Day 2007
The topic for World Environment Day for 2007 is "Melting Ice – a Hot Topic?" During International Polar Year, WED 2007 focuses on the effects that climate
change is having on polar ecosystems and communities, on other ice- and
snow-covered areas of the world, and the resulting global impacts. The main international celebrations of the WED 2007 will be held in the City of
Tromsø, Norway, a city north of the Arctic Circle self-styled as "The Gateway to the Arctic".
The UNEP statement on WED 2007 states:
The day's agenda is to give a human face to environmental issues; empower people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development; promote an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues; and advocate partnership, which will ensure all nations and peoples enjoy a safer and more
prosperous future. World Environment Day is a people's event with colourful activities such as street rallies, bicycle parades, green concerts, essays and poster competitions in schools, tree planting, as well as recycling and clean-up campaigns. |
The Himalya
ice is melting due to global warming.
The topic for World Environment Day for 2007 is "Melting Ice – a Hot Topic?" |
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World Environment Day
World Environment Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. Another resolution, adopted by the General Assembly the same day, led to the creation of
UNEP.
On this World Environment Day, let us examine the state of our environment. Let us consider carefully the actions which each of us must take, and then address ourselves to our common task of preserving all life on earth in a mood of sober resolution and quiet confidence. |
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