Every year on June 5th, World Environment Day is commemorated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to raise awareness about deteriorating environmental conditions and to motivate people all over the world to adopt positive environmental measures to help create a brighter future.
In the last century, mankind’s progress was accompanied by significant growth in natural resource exploitation. Environmental challenges have only become worse with each passing decade, from climate change and marine pollution to the extinction of flora and fauna.
Regardless of the fact that biodiversity balance is essential for the survival of life on our planet, we continue to exploit it. Climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste are three global issues that we are currently facing. That is why we must devote our energies to its protection. Every 5th of June, we must commemorate World Environment Day. Here are seven ways to adapt an eco-friendly lifestyle for sustainable development.
- Start making your purchases more sustainable and environmentally friendly. It is advisable to use a reusable cloth shopping bag instead of plastic bags.
- Instead of using disposable wipes, use reusable cotton buds or towels. Another environmentally friendly option for wiping dishes or surfaces is bamboo paper towels.
- Use a steel or metal flask as it will not only outlast for a long time, but can also be refilled, reducing the amount of plastic waste produced.
- Biodegradable trash bags, which are also environmentally friendly, are a great way to get rid of trash without using plastic.
- If you enjoy tea, moving from tea bags to loose tea leaves may benefit both you and the environment by lowering the quantity of plastic waste generated.
- Washing detergents, cleansing soaps, and liquids all contain a lot of plastic, so shifting to all-natural products could be beneficial to both people and the environment.
- Implementing minor changes to our daily routines or taking small efforts toward sustainability can go a long way.
World Environment Day 2022: Theme
This year, the theme for World Environment Day is ‘Only One Earth.’ This was also the slogan for the 1972 Stockholm conference, which resulted in the establishment of the annual global event on June 5.
The theme emphasises the fact that only Earth, out of all the known galaxies, star systems, and planets, can sustain human life. As human actions are generating irreversible environmental damage, it is critical to minimise or avoid future damage to our biosphere.