World Environment Day, June 5 2009: Your Planet needs you

by Amy Judd | June 3, 2009 at 04:19 pm

2314 views | 42 Recommendations | 12 comments

World Environment Day is celebrated every year on June 5, and the theme for this year is 'Your Planet Needs You-UNite to Combat Climate Change'.

Started in 1972 by the UN General Assembly, it marked the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment.

This day is an opportunity to raise awareness worldwide for the environment and the problems facing our world today.

World Environment Day is intended 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;

Advocate partnership which will ensure all nations and peoples enjoy a safer and more prosperous future.

This is ahead of the climate convention meeting in Copenhagen later this year, but the World Environment Day 2009 conference is to be held in Mexico, to further enhance Latin America's role in the world against climate change.

Mexico is also a sponsor of the UNEP's Billion Trees campaign, but it is failing to let deforestation happen in their own country, and is only fifth in the world for this major problem.
Greenpeace had this to say:

"We call on the government of (President) Felipe Calderon to be coherent. It's not possible to extol Mexico as an example in defending the environment ... whilst systematically destroying ecosystems with environment policies which do not stop deforestation," a statement said.

About 600,000 hectares a year are lost to deforestation, which is an area about four times the size of Mexico City.

There are many different ways each country is recognizing World Environment Day, but everyone needs to do their part individually as well.

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cyn.khoo

at 22:48 on June 3rd, 2009

I forget where I heard it from, but I think this quote totally applies here:

"If all insects died today, in 50 years the earth would die. If all humans died today, in 50 years the earth would flourish."

landcare_australia

at 22:52 on June 3rd, 2009

but the fact and present truth is that we are here today and we should start doing something.

landcare_australia

at 20:20 on June 3rd, 2009

In the lead up to W.E.D. Landcare Australia and Coastcare are holding a massive recruitment drive to find people willing to volunteer some time to help landcare and Coastcare groups in your local area.

You don't need to get your hands dirty to help! Although on-ground help is always needed, there are many other ways that you can get involved.

Do you have skills or knowledge in a trade, design, admin,...; Mission:; Your Planet Needs YOU! How you can help:
1. Register your skills at www.yourplanetneedsyou.com.au
2. Become a Fan of this page and invite your friends
3. Join the Your Planet Needs You Facebook Cause
3. Check out the online gift shop and buy a t-shirt or enviro bag
4. Wear Blue. Your Planet Needs You! Have a "blue" day at work or school and collect gold coin donations to help fund landcare and Coastcare groups.
5. Join the Globe Party at Circular Quay

Paschen

at 20:40 on June 3rd, 2009

Well, we need to understand as Humans, that we need this planet to be healthy and well off, however the planet it self can do much better with out us.

SamirJ

at 21:06 on June 3rd, 2009

I would put it in a different way, The planet needs our help! Too much damage is what we are causing...

Paschen

at 21:23 on June 3rd, 2009

I understand what you are saying SamirJ, however the planet would be able to heal is we Humans would disappear today for the face of the Earth.

We have to learn to get our act together and realize we depend on the planet and not the other way around.

We need to clean up our mess, reduce human population, stop polluting and use as well as produce only what is 100% environmentally friendly and if that means no more Cars or Air Planes no more cheep electricity, then we better accept it and learn to leave a lot more modest as well as fix the damage caused by us and previous generation.

Paschen

at 00:00 on June 4th, 2009

It was a Greenpeace Slogan in the 80s and another one in the 90s went some what like this: "Once all the fish have died, all the trees fallen, all the water polluted and once the air will have become unbreathable, only then Humanity may realize that Money can not be eaten nor sustain life."

Paschen

at 06:05 on June 4th, 2009

I do agree with that comment landcare_australia. We are here and we are aware, there for we are responsible and have to do what ever needs to be done and can be done, and this starting Yesterday.

con (not verified)

at 08:46 on June 4th, 2009

yo yo!!

WisdomMountain

at 11:00 on June 4th, 2009

I saw how climate change had turned vast tracts in Western Australia into almost dry arid desert when I visited The Pinnacles with my wife north of Perth recently.

What used to be a forest is now only calcified stumps on sand and bushes off the Indian Ocean.

I think it must have taken many years for the trees to die leaving only evidence of a lush jungle in such a bleak landscape.

The green tree cover is gone forever.It would take decades for the damage to be reversed and new trees planted and the soil improved from its present inhabitable condition.

The Pinnacles show the devastating effects of climate change that has turned a green landscape into a dead forest of stumps.