Everything You Need to Know about World Environment Day

June 5 is approaching and you know what that means! No? Well, for your information, this is World Environment Day – the day where being green is the new black, where environmentally friendly people are not considered the hippies of the lot and when rubbish removal companies get their most profit from all the rubbish disposal they do. But joking aside, being eco-friendly is no joke. This day is meant to raise global awareness for global warning, water and energy waste, and the wasting away of natural resources. This is the day where we should stop being reckless with our spending and consumerism and focus on our surroundings and the world around us in order to make it a better place. 

The History

5 June 1972 is the day when the first World Environment Day took place, created by the United Nations General Assembly. It was created during the United Nations Conference on Human Environment, the same day the Stockholm Declaration was made, striving to make the world a better place. Ever since then on 5 June people all over the world lead campaigns, create events, and make any effort they can to turn other people’s attention towards the reckless lifestyle we usually have and how to rectify that, or at least try and be greener and help with the reuse of recourses instead of spending all the remaining ones. 

The Anthem

World Environment Day has an anthem, yes. Abhay K., a poet-diplomat from India, wrote the text to “Earth Anthem”, and the text has been translated into all official languages of the UN: Spanish, French, English, Chinese, Arabic, and Russian, plus two others: Nepali and Hindi. 

The Themes

Each year WED has a different theme, serving like a slogan around which all the events and campaigns revolve around, inspirational messages that make it a point to take care for your own waste disposal and not to always rely on the environmentalists to do something for the planet. The 2016 theme will be ‘Go Wild for Life: Zero Tolerance for the Illegal Wildlife Trade’. 

The 2016 Event

World Environment Day has a host country where all the changes are made and where all the efforts for bettering the world are focused. In 2016 that will be Angola. All efforts will be turned to regenerating the environment in the country which took a huge brunt of the collateral damage of a civil war. Animals there are becoming more and more sparse and efforts will be made to protecting the elephant herds and the rest of the wildlife, which is being hunted for its trophies. Many species there are endangered and a campaign will see to their needs in order to repopulate the wildlife. 

The commitments of those attending the event are already stated in the official website of the event. They will be vowing to end wildlife products trade, increase airport security, protect the animals, and so on. All the organisations there will adhere to the needs of Southern African countries and wildlife. It is truly an event made to make a difference. 

Your Role

And there is something you can do yourself, even if you are not among of those who will travel to Angola. Gather people and raise awareness. Make teams and distribute the slogan ‘Go Wild for Life’ anywhere you can. Try to protect the wildlife in your own area, and make sure to do the rubbish disposal of any recklessly thrown items – everything has an impact on nature, so make it a positive one by removing all the negative. Visit the World Environment Day 2016 specialised website and read about more things you can do to help.

World Environment Day is not just for the green people. It is for the planet and its future prosperity. Earth has withered enough, it’s time to breathe in some life back into it and protect that life. Do your part, either with proper clearance services, responsible waste disposal, or in any other way you can to make a difference. As anybody from the WED organisation will tell you, every effort counts.