World Environment Day

"Environment is no one’s property to destroy; it’s everyone’s responsibility to protect." – Mohith Agadi.

The fragility of our planet is not something we can afford to overlook. The sooner we realise that we are living on an hourglass with sand flowing at an unfathomable rate, the better. The United Nations has come up with the initiative of World Environment Day, a day that promotes our collective effort to save our planet.

Celebrated every day on the 5th of June, World Environment Day is celebrated by people from more than 150 countries. The event was first celebrated in 1973 and this year marks its 50th anniversary. The host of the World Environment Day 2023 was Côte d'Ivoire in partnership with the Netherlands. The theme for this year’s event was #BeatPlasticPollution, a topic that encourages the search for solutions to protect the environment from plastic pollution. Since 2014, the host country has banned the use of plastic bags, supporting a shift to reusable packaging. Our planet is polluted with plastic and the number of plastic articles in our daily life is rapidly increasing. Our growing dependence on plastic will have nothing but detrimental effects on our lives in the future. Microplastics finding their way into our food and water also pose a serious threat to our health. According to the UN, more than 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced every year, half of which is designed to be used only once. Plastic also combusts to form noxious gases which proves that plastic presently poses the gravest threat to our planet. The United Nations strives to achieve a nationwide appreciation for our environment and awareness of the issues that plague our beautiful Earth. 50 years of successful campaigning for environmental solutions shows that enough public and political pressure can result in a notable change in the condition of our environment. Therefore, it is the responsibility of every individual to contribute in whatever way possible to help save this planet we call home from its seemingly inevitable fate.

Ruchitha Rakesh

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