After the events of Big Bang, the Earth came into existence in the solar system circling the Sun. As the planets grew colder, Earth emerged as the perfect land, providing everything that helps create a life form and nourishes it in its safe environment. With time, different life form started their journey on the surface of Earth, developing, evolving and often meeting with extinction. Slowly arrived the most intelligent and evolved inhabitant of the plant, who started thriving in the planet under its suitable environment. Mankind excelled with progress and development in every field possible, as Earth became a fruitful home to them.
However, with the developments to ease the lifestyles of humans, Earth started slowly walking towards a day when the environment became the primary concern for its inhabitants. Climate change, air pollution, environmental degradation, resource depletion, marine pollution, human overpopulation, Global warming and wildlife crisis were the nature’s way of revolt to the persistent abuses endured by it for centuries. The Earth had arrived at a tipping point when a global concern generated among all nations to contribute something back to the nature itself and make our stay in the planet a little longer.
With the thought of sustaining the environment, UN General Assembly established the World Environment Day in 1972 on the first day of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. ‘Only One Earth’ as the theme, the first World Environment Day was held in Spokane, United States on 5th June of the year 1974, 2 years after the conference. However, the idea for rotating the center of these activities through selecting different host countries began in the year 1987. On the day of 5th June every year, major corporations, NGO’s, communities, Governments and celebrities worldwide follows the theme by focusing on global warming and its impact on ocean levels, making people aware and reduce the use of plastics, to prevent illegal trade of wildlife and by participating in clean-up tasks, concerts, exhibits, film festivals, community events and many more issues. Aiden Gallagher, Dia Mirza, Don Cheadle, Ellie Goulding and Ian Somerhalder are the few people who have been chosen for their profound activities and contributions as the UN Goodwill Ambassador. Ian Somerhalder was the UN Goodwill Ambassador for the 2014 World Environment Day at Barbados with the theme, ‘Raise your Voice not the sea level’.
With the hope of restoring the damage done by us to the environment we ought to take a stand as we walk into the 45th World Environment Day with the theme ‘Air Pollution’ and fight off the evil caused by pollutants, in China, on 5th June this year. Keeping the global concern in mind, we can all contribute little by little, so the world is a better place for the generations ahead and be kinder to the nature we thrive in when we rapidly go forward to an advanced future at hand but the wounds still remains fresh after years of living dangerously.
