Be the Change, Consume with Care

The world environment day is a call for a positive environmental action to save our planet from further degradation.

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World environment day annual celebration campaign was started to address the huge environmental issues like wastage and losses of food, deforestation, increasing global warming and so many. Every year's celebration is planned according to the particular theme and slogan of the year to bring effectiveness in the campaign all through the world.

It is celebrated to successfully get carbon neutrality, focusing on the forest management, reducing greenhouse effects, promoting bio-fuels production by planting on degraded lands, use of hydro-power to enhance electricity production, encourage common public to use solar water heaters, energy production through solar sources, developing new drainage systems, promoting coral reefs and mangroves restoration in order to get prevented from flooding and erosion including other ways of environmental preservation.

This year’s World Environment Day global celebrations will convene under the theme resource efficiency and sustainable consumption and production (SCP) within the context of the planet's regenerative capacity. The slogan, ‘Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care,” was chosen through voting on social media. Italy will serve as the host of the 2015 event and the global WED celebrations will be organised at the Milan Expo. Celebrations at the Milan Expo will complement the Expo's theme, ‘Feeding the Planet—Energy for Life,' which will showcase ideas, solutions and technology to help ensure healthy, safe and sufficient food for all while respecting the planet and its carrying capacity.

The well-being of humanity, the environment, and the functioning of the economy, ultimately depend upon the responsible management of the planet’s natural resources. Evidence is building that people are consuming far more natural resources than what the planet can sustainably provide.

Many of the Earth’s ecosystems are nearing critical tipping points of depletion or irreversible change, pushed by high population growth and economic development. By 2050, if current consumption and production patterns remain the same and with a rising population expected to reach 9.6 billion, we will need three planets to sustain our ways of living and consumption.

Living within planetary boundaries is the most promising strategy for ensuring a healthy future. Human prosperity need not cost the earth. Living sustainably is about doing more and better with less. It is about knowing that rising rates of natural resource use and the environmental impacts that occur are not a necessary by-product of economic growth.

Notwithstanding the critical importance of this event, the absence of common man’s participation in World Environment Day activities, especially in developing countries, is noticeable. A majority of people in less developed countries (LDCs) hardly know, or care, about these much-touted events. They are obsessed with topics like financial budget, the political situation and inflation. Not surprising, since nearly 40 per cent of this population lives below the poverty line. Even the media in the Asian continent makes a passing reference to this day. The World Environment Day is celebrated every year, to not only create awareness but also to reaffirm our commitment to protect and safeguard the environment for us and our future generations.