World Environment Day: A Call to Action Against Plastic Pollution

World Environment Day
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Introduction
World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated on the 5th of June. This day is celebrated every
year, to raise awareness on environmental protection and draw attention to pressing
environmental issues. WED was established by UN General Assembly in the year 1972, at
Stockholm Conference on Human Environment. Since then it has grown to become global
celebration. Today, 143 countries participate in the celebration, through awareness programs and
activities.
Environment and its Impact on Human life
Human life is an integral part of nature. Climate of the earth is ever changing. But extraction and
consumption of natural resources has imposed threat on the environmental balance. To meet the
never-ending need of human, natural resources are converted into items of everyday use. This
releases harmful chemicals into nature.
One fourth part of the earth is covered with ocean. It holds about 97 per cent of the total water
on the Earth and rainfall on land is the effect of extensive evaporation over the ocean surface.
Ocean also houses important plant and animal life. It supplies fishes which is the part of staple
food to many people. Our foods products and medicine contains ingredients from the ocean.80%
of marine pollution is related to human waste. Huge amount of human wastes in the form of
residential wastes, chemicals from agriculture, and harmful industrial wastes are pumped into the
ocean changing its density and salinity. Global warming has led to incidences like frequent
hurricanes and flood on one part of the globe and drought on the other part. Large amount of
carbon-di-oxide is released in the air from burning of fossil fuels like petroleum. Coalmining
activities has led to addition of harmful chemicals like lead (Pb) and polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbon(PAH) into the air which causes major lung diseases. Deforestation prevents the
recycling of CO2 and adds up to the green houses gases. Among the chemical pollutant, plastic
has become a real environmental threat. Much of it is non-biodegradable and deposition of
plastic wastes into oceans is posing threat to marine life.
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Figure: Whale found dead on sea beach with plastics in its mouth
Themes of World Environmental Day
Each year a theme is selected to celebrate the World Environmental Day. In 2017 the theme was
'Connecting People to Nature’. Its aim was to connect people from equator to poles.
In 2018, the theme was “Beat Plastic Pollution”.
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