World Environment Day: Global Awareness, Impact of Plastic Pollution

This essay provides an overview of World Environment Day (WED), celebrated annually on June 5th to raise awareness about environmental protection and pressing environmental issues. Established in 1972 by the UN General Assembly, WED has grown into a global celebration involving 143 countries. The essay highlights the integral relationship between human life and nature, emphasizing how the extraction and consumption of natural resources threaten environmental balance. It discusses the impact of pollution, particularly plastic, on marine life and human health, and underscores the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling. The essay also touches upon the themes of past WED celebrations, such as 'Connecting People to Nature' and 'Beat Plastic Pollution,' and showcases various activities and innovations aimed at promoting environmental sustainability. It concludes by advocating for collective action to minimize consumption, share resources equitably, and educate future generations to ensure a better, more sustainable world, urging individuals to join hands in saving humanity from the perils of plastic pollutants, with Desklib providing resources for students.

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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Host Nation
Each year one country hosts the celebration on World Environmental Day. Last year it was
Canada and this year it was India.
Plastic and its impact
Plastic is an integral part of human life for its durability and water resistance power. It is
extensively used as carry bags, water bottles, food container; chemical container etc. 1 million
plastic drinking bottles are purchased every minute .Nearly one third of the plastic pancakes
which escapes clogs the city drainage system. Marine life is disrupted by the release of 13
million tons of plastic that is dumped into the ocean each year. It ranges from fishing nets to
plastic bottles on the beaches.What are more alarming is that plastic is non biodegradable and it
takes 1000 years to disintegrate. It acts like magnet to attract other pollutants like pesticides and
dioxins. Many marine animal and birds have been found dead with plastics inside their body.
Fishes intoxicated through plastic enter human body and impose threat to human life.
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Figure: Award winning
photograph of bird lying dead
Refuse Reuse Recycle
To combat this plastic threat multiple activities were
arranged throughout the day. It involved NGOs, school
children, teachers, and representatives of government bodies and communities. It called to refuse
the use of plastic bags and reuse or recycle the bottles and bags. Many people demonstrated how
to reuse plastic bottles and bags. Some of the key decisions are –
1) Use your own shopping bags
2) Encourage non-plastic packaging
3) Refuse plastic cutlery
Innovations in recycle
Some of the innovations from plastic recycle can be making Vertical Garden, Spoon Chandelier,
Bouquet Lamp, Christmas tree, Curtain, Ottoman Seat etc.
Figure: Vertical Garden
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Figure: Man riding boat with recycled
plastic bottle
Figure: Recycled Plastic bottle boats.
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Figure: Reused plastic bottles for domestic use
Figure: Beautiful Mosaic from Caps Left By Hurricane Sandy
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Activities on World Environment Day
Exhibitions were held at Rajpath lawns, attended by dignitaries, celebrities and community
people.150 participants attended storytelling session in Delhi Metro carriage. Greenpeace urged
Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) to stop using plastic containers. Multiple awareness
programs in the form of stage shows were arranged across the country.
As renowned environmentalist Sunita Narain says “Learn to use the resources of the Earth in a
manner that we minimize our consumption, so that we can share equitably with all today and
leave behind enough for tomorrow’s inheritors”. To make the world better place to live in for us
and for generations to come it’s high time that people come together join hands and educate
fellow human. Through the celebrations on World Environment Day; India pledges the world to
save humanity before being devoured by plastic pollutants. Let’s join hand to make earth a better
place to live in.
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