World Environment Day

TO raise awareness and promote action on national environment issues, World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5 each year. World Environment Day is an opportunity to raise awareness and promote action on national environment issues.

This year's theme (2008) is Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy. The United Nations urged the world on Thursday to kick an all-consuming addiction to carbon dioxide and encouraging people to de-carbonise their economies and lifestyles.

World Environment Day was established by the UN General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. Another resolution, adopted by the General Assembly the same day, led to the creation of UNEP. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said global warming was becoming the defining issue of the era and will hurt rich and poor alike.

Gasoline exhaust from cars is the one of the main causes of air and ozone pollution. about 27% of the Indian population lives in urban areas. Although the total vehicular population in India compared with rich western countries, Indian mega cities are highly polluted. About 20% of the vehicle population in India is concentrated in about

half a dozen major metropolitan cities.

'Indian mega-cities are among the most polluted in the world. Air concentrations of a number of air pollutants are much higher than levels recommended by the World Health Organization.' - a Survey result is alerting us for some quick action. India rank 124 in cumulative emission of greenhouse gas during 1950 and 2003 and rank 120 in 2003 alone. The level of air pollution in India has increased drastically in recent years.

India has low car ownership rates — there are 7-8 cars per 1,000 people compared with 300-500 cars per 1,000 people in many Western nations, but annual passenger vehicle sales in India are expected to double to 2 million units by 2010. ..

“India is creating a car culture just when other countries are trying to learn from their mistakes.”

It is high time for us to learn how we can help resolve the negative environmental habits related to waste (soil contamination), water (acid rain, ground water contamination), health (ozone pollution, noise pollution) and air (air pollution, particulate air pollution).

Get energy efficient. it doesn’t mean you have to stop using energy, but increase it’s productivity and do more with less. There are simple things that anyone can do to make a difference:

Simple things like switching off light bulbs, heating appliances, at the wall, unplug the electronics appliances and your computer when not in use; turn off your car engine at signals or at halt; tuning your car regularly and carpooling or using public transport can make a huge difference. Use cold water to wash your clothes and dry them on a clothesline instead of in the dryer; use Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs instead of conventional ones - this helps the environment and your pocket; use pressure cooker and plan your cooking; use air-conditioners judiciously; Give used equipment to recycle and pay attention to energy saving when you buy new one; .it will save energy and money.

And get out of your car more often - walk, use public transport or get on a bicycle. You can Do away with plastic items like, bags, covers, cups, packing materials, plates, sachets, water bottles, wrappers - Instead use paper bags, cups, packing materials, plates, wrappers and glass bottles Use video conferences instead of meetings.

De-carbon your life. You can buy products that adhere to internationally certified standards.

Turn off engines, computers, when there’s no need to use them - Let’s not imprison ourselves in such environment which we would only like to escape. Sadly pollutants and polluted air will reach you and will follow you wherever you’ll go. So better join up with saving environment ranks today!

Reference:

1. Planet arc: 

 http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/42843/story.htm

2. The Causes and Consequences of Particulate Air Pollution in Urban India: A Synthesis of the Science. Milind Kandlikar, Gurumurthy Ramachandran. Annual Review of Energy and the Environment, November 2000, Vol. 25, Pages 629-684