(June 5, 2008) World Environment Day (WED), as the name implies, takes place every
year on the 5th of June. It is a day of celebration as well as education and outreach.
Each year the United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP chooses a theme for the day
and works towards promoting activities worldwide around that theme. The World Environment
Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972. The United Nations
Environment Programme was also created in 1972, which uses WED to stimulate awareness
of the environment and enhance political attention and public action. Speaking on
the occasion, the secretary General Ban Ki Moon said that the environmental, economic
and political implications of global warming are profound. Ecosystems -- from mountain
to ocean, from the Poles to the tropics -- are undergoing rapid change. Low-lying
cities face inundation, fertile lands are turning to desert, and weather patterns
are becoming ever more unpredictable. Our dependence on carbon-based energy has caused
a significant build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, he said. We know that
climate change is happening, and we know that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse
gases that we emit are the cause. The poor will be hardest hit by weather-related
disasters and by soaring price inflation for staple foods, but even the richest nations
face the prospect of economic recession and a world in conflict over diminishing resources.
Mitigating climate change, eradicating poverty and promoting economic and political
stability all demand the same solution: we must kick the carbon habit. This is the
theme for World Environment Day 2008. "Kick the Habit: Towards a Low Carbon Economy",
recognizes the damaging extent of our addiction, and it shows the way forward, said
Ban Ki Moon. He concluded saying that the message of World Environment Day 2008 is
that we are all part of the solution. “Whether you are an individual, an organization,
a business or a government, there are many steps you can take to reduce your carbon
footprint,” he said.